1. Yaffle: A Matchmaking Tool for Engagement Jennifer Adams Warburton, Operations Manager The Harris Centre, Memorial University May 2011

2. Outline What is Yaffle? The Harris Centre @ MUN Yaffle within the Harris Centre mandate Building Yaffle Running Yaffle The future of Yaffle

3. What in the world is a Yaffle?

4. Yaffle is unique There are lots of databases and online tools To our knowledge, nowhere has a university committed to link its research and expertise in such an accessible way Nowhere is there a vehicle for citizens, communities and organizations to submit ideas for new research or propose ways to collaborate

5. A ‘marketplace’ for knowledge

6. Yaffle within the Harris Centre

7. Building Yaffle

8. A partnership from day 1 The Harris Centre developed Yaffle through a collaborative process with the support of the Office of Research, Marketing & Communications, Computing & Communications and the QEII Library A project steering committee: NL Regional Economic Development Association, Municipalities N&L, Federal and Provincial governments A project technical advisory committee Project staff

12. Rural Secretariat; 9 Regional Councils

13. Over 50 Graduate Students

15. Solutions Projects administered through Office of Research included in Yaffle Tri-council proposals already require lay summaries Marketing to faculty – finding ways to impart the value of promotion through Yaffle Find research collaborations Attract graduate student research Demonstrate KMb for grant opportunities Track and report output for P&T

16. Running Yaffle

17. Current Memorial Operations 3 person operational staff Technical & developmental support from Memorial’s institutional IT department MUN Champion Steering Committee in place VP Research support for Yaffle operations Yaffle supports the work of the KMb team

18. Yaffle Today Over 75,000 searches since public launch (Feb. 2009) Accessed from 177 countries over 6 continents Average of 100 users per day Graduate Students using Yaffle for thesis topics MITACS Identification of Internships Government, Community and Media constant users 2010 – 18 new brokered projects Formalized communications w/ Office of Research and School of Graduate Studies to automatically communicate research awards

19. Building the inventory Lay Summary Submitted by User Lay Summary Submitted to Review Queue Lay Summary Reviewed by Yaffle Staff Revision/Approval Process (if required) Lay Summary Approved and Added to Active Database

20. Some of our stories – Part I Healthcare in Labrador Provincial government wants to better understand why people in Labrador are not accessing quality healthcare in their communities They submitted an Opportunity in Yaffle A MUN researcher found the Opportunity and contacted the sponsoring government department A project is now underway to explore these issues

21. Some of our stories – Part II Energy Model for Southern Labrador Southeastern Aurora Development Corporation wants to explore possible solutions to the limited energy reserves problem in Southern Labrador A possible researcher emerged through a Yaffle connection The Harris Centre is now facilitating a possible longer term connection related to this project

22. Some of our stories – Part III Biochemistry – Dr. Sue Ghazala Uses Yaffle to find prospective graduate students Placed 2 graduate International graduate students Is contacted at least twice a week from prospective students Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Uses Yaffle to find researchers Pending projects in bio-fuels and water-quality with Ms. Kelly Hawbolt in Engineering Funded project with Dr. Sue Ghazala in Biochemistry

23. The Future of Yaffle

24. Yaffle 2.0 Running for 2 years Revisiting initial requirements Choose changes and enhancements Expansion exploration – Gardiner Centre Solutions Report Pilot update – intention to partner to share Yaffle

25. Discussion