Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science

Société Canadienne des Sciences du Cerveau, du Comportement, et de la Cognition

Minutes of the 7th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science

4:00 PM, June 20, 1997 at the Drake Center, University of Manitoba

President Vince DiLollo presiding, Minutes taken by Don Read. Other members of the Executive in attendance were Ray Klein, Past-President, Richard Tees, President-Elect, and Chris Herdman, National Consortium (of Scientific and Educational Societies) Member.

1. Agenda:

Presentation of the Meeting Agenda and accepted without additions or changes.

2. Minutes:

Motion: It was moved (Klein/Tees) that minutes of the 6th Annual Meeting (previously distributed) be accepted as distributed. Motion passed.

3. President's Report

General Comments: Thanks were given by DiLollo to:

i) previous BBCS Presidents Mel Goodale, Bryan Kolb, Ray Klein, and Julien Doyon for assistance in developing the terms of reference for the Donald O. Hebb Research and Student Awards to be discussed later in meeting (see #7);

ii) Chris Herdman for moving BBCS operations to Carleton University in Ottawa;

iii) Ray Klein for developing the BBCS submission on Canadian Psychology to APA's Encyclopaedia on the history of psychology;

iv) and Murray Singer and Jim Clark for organization of this year's meeting at the University of Manitoba.

a) Membership:

DiLollo indicated that less than 60% of current NSERC grant holders are members of BBCS. The importance of lobby efforts with the government and our participation in the Reallocation Exercises by NSERC were emphasized both in terms of bringing more researchers into BBCS and more strongly drawing the links between BBCS and NSERC activities. Optimism was expressed that more researchers can be contacted in the future, particularly now that the organization has achieved considerably stability under Chris Herdman at Carleton. Other related activities were described by which BBCS has exerted some influence and which should have an impact upon membership and solidarity among researchers. For one, DiLollo had written (with the assistance of Gus Craik) a 3-page letter to Dr, Michael F. MacDonald of the Tri-Council Working Group on development of the Code of Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Human Subjects. The letter took strong exception to the proposals of the draft report in which the construction and use of subject pools, if adopted, would be forbidden. DiLollo reported that the Working Group's response to the letter was to delete the item regarding subject pools.

b) Election of President-elect:

It was reported by DiLollo that two nominations had been received as a result of the e-mail request for nominations; however, of these one nominee had decided to withdraw. As a result, Richard Brown's nomination stood. A request for further nominations was made but none provided. DiLollo declared Richard Brown elected as President-Elect.

c) Budget:

A limited financial report to May 22, 1997 was developed by Chris Herdman and Karen Hiscock. The balance was reported as $26,031.32 A conference "float" of $8,500.00 will be returned to the Society account following this year's conference.

4. Report on National Conference on Scientific Psychology (C. Macleod)

Macleod provided a brief history of the effort by CPA's Scientific Affairs Committee to put together a document describing a vision statement of the goals for the field of psychology in Canada. The conference was co-chaired by Janel Gautier and Tony Phillips. BBCS provided $5000 in support for three individuals (who???) to attend the meetings held May 8 - 10 in Aylmer, Quebec. Macleod reported that although the final document is some time away, we should anticipate a draft report in the near future. MacLeod was thanked for the report updating the activities of the Scientific Affairs Committee.

5. NSERC Business Report (R.Tees presented report in place of B. Kolb)

a) Reallocation Exercise:

Tees reported that further work (since the 1996 BBCS meeting) has been completed by the Psychology Reallocation Committee (B. Kolb (Chair), R. Brown, V. DiLollo, J. Stewart, and P. Jolicoeur) in preparation of the final report due on January 2, 1998. The focus of the work has been to elicit from Canadian researchers their role in psychology's future with particular emphasis placed upon applied consequences of basic research. Depending upon our input and the arguments made in the report, funding for psychology may increase or decrease as a result of NSERC's reallocation of 10% the GSCs' past funding levels. Input from BBCS members was encouraged.

b) Name change for GSC-12.

Tees reviewed the history of psychology's place among the NSERC Grant Selection Committees. There has been feeling among the GSC-12 members and among NSERC staff that in the absence of a name emphasizing the scientific activities of researchers funded through GSC-12 that we may have been penalized within the NSERC system by a misunderstanding of the field and of the name psychology. Further, it was argued that a reasonable number of researchers, whose work is appropriately funded by GSC-12, are not members of Psychology departments. Hence the "Psychology" designation was misleading from that standpoint. The name recommended by the Kolb reallocation committee, and being proposed by Tees on their behalf, is "Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science" - the name of our own organization which will also underline the connection between CSBBCS and GSC-12 and encourage NSERC staff in their consultations with the scientific community represented by GSC-12 to view BBCS as the primary scientific organization for the field. Tees indicated that an effort would need to be made to inform other societies (e.g. cpa) about the the proposal by the reallocation committee about the name change for GSC-12.

A discussion followed of the strengths and weaknesses of requesting a name change. For one, a name change to something other than "psychology" may weaken our links to other organizations involved in psychology. However, it was emphasized that a title change would have no repercussions as to who could apply to NSERC for funding through this GSC because the description of relevant activities to the GSC would not change.

Richard Brown took the opportunity to speak at length on the reallocation Exercise and its relevance to the question of name change. On the basis of new documents received from NSERC he argued that the new overarching criterion in the reallocation decisions will be "importance of the field to Canada". Within this orientation is an emphasis upon the training of "highly qualified personnel" and the employment of same as well as the use of NSERC funds as leverage in the awarding of other research grants from other agencies.

V. DiLollo emphasized the need for researchers to develop a set of plans that will place us in a much stronger position in the reallocation. One such step may be a name change.

A straw vote was taken on the suggested name change with substantial support shown

Motion: It was moved (Tees/Klein) that BBCS recommend to NSERC that the name for GSC-12 be changed to Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Sciences. Motion passed. Tees indicated that an effort would be made to inform other societies of the change.

6. Funding request for the Banff Annual Seminar in Cognitive Science(BASICS) by M. Masson

Masson proposed that founding of the BBCS group included the intention to support in a broad sense scientific activities by Canadian researchers and that support for local, specialized meetings could be seen to be a part of those goals. He suggested that BBCS decide to undertake such a role in a more clearly defined manner by providing some funding support for such meetings, including BASICS. Discussion centered on the question of whether BBCS should single out any specific meeting for such support, the type of available support (i.e., financial or infrastructure including dissemination of relevant information and web links to the meetings through BBCS) the consequences of legislating such support.

Motion: It was moved (Masson/Klein) that the BBCS Executive be authorized to consider the provision of infrastructure and financial support for regional meetings. Motion passed unanimously.

7. Awards (R. Klein presented report in place of B. Kolb)

Klein noted that the prior BBCS meeting had charged the Past-President with the task of developing proposals for this meeting in regard to a statement of principles and procedures for the provision of awards in recognition of significant research active contributions by a senior scientist and for student presentations at the BBCS meetings. A one-page report was distributed which described the principles and nomination procedures for such awards, named the Donald O. Hebb

Distinguished Contribution Award and the Donald O. Hebb Graduate Student Award, respectively.

a) Senior Award

Motion: It was moved (Klein/Tees) that BBCS adopt the description and regulations for the senior award as described on the distributed materials (and listed below):

Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution Award

This award shall be made to an individual who, in the opinion of the committee on this award, has made a significant contribution to the study of brain, behaviour, and cognitive science. The committee shall be composed of the five immediate past presidents of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science (BBCS), and shall be chaired by the least recent past president.

In making its selection the committee will consider the following criteria:

1) an individual's research has been sustained and meritorious to enhance the knowledge base of brain, behaviour, and cognition,

2) an individual whose training of students, postdoctoral fellows and colleagues has had a significant impact on brain, behaviour, and cognitive science, and

3) an individual whose influence has been exerted through leadership as a theorist or spokesperson for the discipline.

Normally, the awardee shall have conducted a significant proportion of his/her research training or disciplinary work within Canada. The awardee will be invited to give the Donald O. Hebb Distinguished Contribution address at the annual BBCS meeting of that year. Travel expenses will be borne by BBCS.

The nominations shall include a complete curriculum vitae of the nominee, and a letter describing the significance of his/her contribution. The nominations shall be sent directly to the chairman of the committee of that year. The deadline for submitting nominations is November 1st.

Motion of Amendment: It was moved (Klein) that the word "individual" on the first line be changed to read "member". Motion failed.

Further discussion of the meaning of "senior" used in these discussions but recognized that a less than senior or younger scientist could also be eligible. It was understood that the awardee's acceptance address would would replace the Keynote Speaker designation now used at BBCS annual meetings. Motion passed.

b) Student award

Motion: It was moved (Klein/Brown): That the regulations for the student award described in the distributed materials be adopted in principle. Motion passed.

Donald O. Hebb Graduate Student Award

This award shall be made to the individual who, in the opinion of the committee on this award, has been judged to have presented the best paper or poster at the annual meeting of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science. The committee shall be composed of the five immediate past presidents of the Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour, and Cognitive Science (BBCS), and shall be chaired by the least recent past president. Normally, the awardee would be a Canadian citizen or would have conducted a significant proportion of his/her research, training or disciplinary work within Canada.

As a result of discussions surrounding the logistics of providing such an award to a student within a BBCS meeting and the requirements that there be adequate inspection of or listening to all student presentations and adequate time in which the committee can reach a decision, several changes were recommended to the committee structure and award procedures. These included: the composition of the award committee to include the current President of BBCS, the President-Elect, the conference organizer and their "appointees", to be selected in preparation for the meeting; the appointees will be several individuals from each primary area of research and who will serve as nominators of the best student presentation; and the need for all student presentations to be completed before 12:00 PM of the second meeting day. It was understood that these changes would be made in preparation for next year's meeting.

8. Liason with CPA (Chris Herdman)

Herdman reported on the continuing relationship and discussions with the Scientific Affairs Committee (as discussed earlier) as well our representation to the Tri-Council report on ethical treatment of human participants, lobbying efforts and the possibility of improved conference coordination with CPA, although the latter may be some time away if current commitments for upcoming BBCS and CPA meetings are adhered to.

9. Joint Meeting with the British Psychological Society in 1999.

Membership was reminded of our plans to hold a joint meeting in the spring/summer of 1999 at Oxford University.

10. Next Meeting of BBCS: Scheduled for June 19-20 at Carleton University.

11. Other Business:

1) M. Singer provided thanks to the local organizing committee who successfully hosted this year's meeting. The committee consisted of M. Singer, J. Clark, D. Williams, R. Wilson, L. Wilson, M. McIntyre, J. Adair (for logo and design), C, Herdman, N. Daniel, J. Whitely as well as assistance provided by students C. Baxter, M. Darczewsak, D. Epp, J. Giftakis, M. Halldorson, T. Harrigan, K. Johns, J. Klaussen, C. Ktatychuk, N. McKeen, G. Remillard, E. Richards, and N. Yu.

2) Concurrent Sessions: A member suggested that the number of concurrent sessions during the meeting be reduced from 3 to 2. DiLollo indicated that this would be considered by the Executive.

12. Closing remarks: DiLollo introduced the incoming President, Richard Tees, to provide some closing remarks. Tees thanked Vince DiLollo for his continuous efforts to work on our behalf and emphasized the importance of participation by members in the Society's activities over the next few years because of the important decisions that will soon be made by NSERC and the changes occurring within Canadian research funding. Tees promised to call upon all of the membership for assistance in the task of preparing for scientific psychology's role in the future in Canada.

13. Meeting closed.

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