Mission
To promote interdisciplinary research related to the field of psychology.
To promote knowledge translation and make research more accessible to the general public.
To cultivate, strengthen, and diversify the understanding of the applications of science among future researchers.
Vision
An interdisciplinary approach to conducting research is becoming increasingly important for scientific pursuits. Not only are issues facing science becoming ever more complex, but it is often in the gaps between disciplines that innovative research grows. This need is particularly pressing in the case of psychology as it aims for a holistic understanding of the human mind, behaviour and emotions, and the way these are embedded in a web of broader social contexts.
Furthermore, science does not flourish in a vacuum – as crucial as the dialogue between scientific disciplines is the dialogue between science and society. Reaching outside of the academic realm allows scientific research to become more accessible to the wider community and is crucial to its application to current societal issues. This process of knowledge mobilization and translation also brings important insight to researchers. It keeps them attuned to the questions that are relevant to people’s lives and to how the broader community understands and relates to their scientific endeavours.
Finally, offering high school students and individuals who wish to learn more about the current state of research an opportunity to be involved in an academic conference is an excellent method of nurturing their awareness and curiosity for research, answer any potential questions towards conducting research, and inspire them to pursue their studies at the university level.
It is in this view that graduate and undergraduate psychology students at the University of Ottawa have formed an academic conference dedicated to promoting interdisciplinary research related to psychology. The Interdisciplinary Conference in Psychology (ICP | CIP) Conférence interdisciplinaire en psychologie aims to promote the dialogue of perspectives, the confluence of different scientific methods and approaches, and knowledge translation. In this way, we can discover new questions that shed light on aspects of our research that we may have previously overlooked, develop new strategies to investigate longstanding issues, and promote dynamic research that contributes to the broader well-being of our society.
ICP's Official Public Stand Against Racism
We cannot stay silent regarding the recent events that have highlighted the deep structural racism in our societies.
It is with utmost outrage that we write to you. All of us, not only as researchers but also as citizens, must advocate for equity, accountability and justice within our community. We need to support our colleagues that have been suffering for far too long. It is why the Interdisciplinary Conference in Psychology wants to publicly take a stand against racism. We will commit to active anti-racist measures and use our resources to ensure that every member of the ICP feels safe, seen and heard. During these times of grief and solidarity, we must reflect on our role as a student club and think about concrete measures that we can put into place to ensure that our actions align with our values. Here are some measures that we will put in place to do so:
Create more content featuring the work of people of colour and the research on anti-racism, racial bias and cultural diversity
Host a panel on systemic racism in academia and white privilege
Encourage diversity within our club, namely by creating different awards: one for students of colour and one highlighting research on a related topic
We also welcome you to write to us (icp.cip.uottawa@gmail.com) if you have any comments or ideas regarding concrete actions that could be taken by ICP.