Program Overview
QIESR (Queen’s Institute for Educational Scholarship and Research) is envisioned as a scholarly constellation, a dynamic ecosystem of inquiry in which individual scholars, collaborative Nexus groups, and institutional leadership converge to advance educational scholarship.
Within this constellation, QIESR Nexus groups function as research groups: structured, multi-year scholarly communities organized around clearly self-defined themes in teaching and learning research.
Where the QIESR Scholar Program supports individual scholarly development and recognition, the Nexus Program supports collective ecosystems that generate sustained collaboration, visible outputs, and institutional impact.
Through formal designation as a QIESR Nexus, the program strengthens cross-disciplinary engagement, fosters shared leadership, and advances Queen’s national and international profile in educational scholarship.
A Nexus is a point of connection, convergence, and shared intellectual purpose.
Within QIESR, a Nexus:
- Is organized around a coherent scholarly theme in educational inquiry
- Brings together a defined community of members
- Articulates a multi-year scholarly agenda
- Demonstrates collaborative leadership
- Produces tangible scholarly outputs
- Contributes to institutional and disciplinary conversations
A Nexus is a scholarly initiative with defined goals, leadership, and accountability.
A QIESR Nexus is granted a three-year designation, renewable upon review.
Designation reflects demonstrated scholarly coherence, collaborative capacity, and alignment with QIESR’s mission and priorities.
Renewal is contingent upon:
- Sustained scholarly activity
- Visible member engagement
- Demonstrated outputs and impact
- Continued alignment with QIESR principles
Governance and Leadership
Each Nexus must identify:
- A Nexus Lead or Co-Leads (faculty member, librarian, academic staff member, or postdoctoral fellow at Queen’s, external QIESR Scholar)
- A defined leadership structure appropriate to the scope and complexity of the initiative
The Nexus Lead(s) serve as primary liaison(s) with QIESR and are responsible for coordinating activities.
Participation by QIESR Scholars is encouraged but not required. Scholars may create, lead, or participate in Nexus groups as part of their broader contribution to QIESR.
Nexus membership may include:
- Faculty across disciplines
- Librarians
- Staff
- Postdoctoral fellows
- Graduate students
- External QIESR Scholars
Interdisciplinary participation is strongly encouraged.
Each Nexus must articulate a clear scholarly agenda and demonstrate sustained activity throughout its designation term.
Activities may include:
- Collaborative research, program evaluation, quality improvement, or Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) projects
- Grant development and submission
- Conference symposia or panels
- Peer-reviewed publications
- Institutional white papers or policy briefs
- Educational innovations that are systematically evaluated and disseminated
- Visiting scholar events
- Community-engaged scholarship initiatives
At minimum, each Nexus must demonstrate visible scholarly activity and produce identifiable outputs over its three-year term.
Support from QIESR
Recognized Nexus groups receive:
- Formal designation as a QIESR Nexus
- Visibility through QIESR website, communications, and programming
- Integration within the broader QIESR community
- Access to research consultation and methodological expertise
- Participation in the annual QIESR Showcase
The Nexus Program emphasizes intellectual infrastructure and collaborative visibility rather than financial allocation at this time.
Application Process
Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis and must include:
- Name of Nexus
- Contact Name/Email
- Statement of Scholarly Focus
- Rationale and Alignment with QIESR Mission and Priorities
- Leadership Structure and Membership Plan
- Proposed Activities and Timeline (three-year plan)
- Anticipated Outputs and Impact
- Sustainability Considerations
- 100–150 Word Public Description for Website
Application packages (3 page maximum) are reviewed by the QIESR Strategy Nexus at regular intervals to ensure timely and rigorous adjudication.
Applications are evaluated based on:
- Scholarly coherence and conceptual clarity
- Feasibility of the proposed nexus
- Strength of collaborative leadership structure
- Interdisciplinary engagement
- Alignment with QIESR’s mission and institutional priorities
- Potential for meaningful institutional and broader impact
Annual Reflections
Each Nexus must submit an Annual Nexus Reflection Report (maximum one page) outlining:
- Activities undertaken
- Scholarly outputs
- Member engagement
- Student involvement
- Emerging directions and future plans
The QIESR Strategy Nexus reviews annual reflections to ensure continued activity, alignment with QIESR principles, and visible scholarly contribution. QIESR reserves the ability to discontinue designation if a Nexus demonstrates sustained inactivity or misalignment with QIESR’s mission.