MI-HQPAC

The HQPAC welcomes all students, researchers, engineers, and technicians in astroparticle and related physics to connect and grow the research community.

The HQPAC is dedicated to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment in astroparticle physics in Canada. The committee works alongside the McDonald Institute and provides input on investments and program development for the HQP community through experience and peer recommendation. It also has access to resources to support committee-led initiatives.

Are you HQP? Probably! All Students, Postdocs, PDFs, and early career researchers, engineers, and technicians working or studying astroparticle (and related) physics, or in cross/interdisciplinary research involving astroparticle and related physics.

 

• Identify ways the McDonald Institute can best support the Astroparticle Physics HQP Community in Canada.
• Develop implementation strategies that would work to address and support pertinent issues as identified by the HQPAC.
• Determine short-term initiatives/programs that would address pertinent issues and serve as pilots for longer-term solutions.
• Analyze and report on the effectiveness of HQPAC initiatives, addressing issues to the McDonald Institute, and helping develop further action plans.
• Work with the McDonald Institute to affect long-term solutions and improvements identified by the HQPAC.
• Represent the interests of the HQP Community through:
  • Facilitating inter-institutional, peer-to-peer professional and scientific networking among members.
  • Regular consultation across the national McDonald Institute HQP network.
  • Advising the Institute’s efforts to serve the national HQP network.
  • Promote the engagement of HQP Community members in McDonald Institute programming.

 

The HQPAC holds monthly town hall meetings open to anyone in the Canadian astroparticle physics community.

Guests can listen in, ask questions, and offer ideas or opinions. Attending the monthly meetings is a great way to get acquainted with the other committee members and their current initiatives. If you’d like to join the committee as an official member, you’ll participate in planning and chairing the meetings, committee voting, and organizing projects, events, and initiatives.

If you have questions or comments for the committee, but can’t attend a town hall meeting, you are always welcome to send an email to hqpac@mcdonaldinstitute.ca and your input will be discussed at the next town hall. Please also consider providing your feedback through the Astroparticle Physics HQP Community Interest Survey. This survey helps the Committee understand the needs of the community and prioritize activities.

 

The committee consists of HQP from across Canada at various academic levels who are passionate about benefiting the HQP community. We aim to have at least one member from each of the McDonald Institute’s partner Universities and Institutions on the committee. The current committee members are posted on the McDonald Institute Governance page.

If you are interested in joining the HQPAC, we recommend first attending one of the committee’s town hall meetings and introducing yourself. To make an official request to join the committee as a member, please write a short email to hqpac@mcdonaldinstitute.ca indicating your desire to join and what issue(s) you are most interested in helping the committee with. The committee reviews proposals monthly, and new members are invited to attend subsequent meetings.

 

The committee has a modest budget to implement ideas. If the Committee determines that a task or project needs extra time, a paid opportunity is posted to the community. If no suitable applications are received within two weeks, committee members can take on the task themselves. This compensation minimizes the time that committee members volunteer.

 

The HQPAC was first formed in 2021. The McDonald Institute analyzed the governing committees within the Canadian Networks of Centres of Excellence to understand models that supported effective community engagement. Based on this research, eight HQP formed the inaugural HQP advisory committee. Over the last few years, the committee has worked alongside the McDonald Institute to provide programming and training opportunities to the HQP community, such as MInteract and EIEIOO.