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Robert Brown Lead (WP3) Dr. Robert Brown is a research scientist in offshore and maritime safety at the Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland. His expertise is human factors and equipment performance in maritime and offshore emergency situations (evacuation, survival and rescue). Dr. Brown works both in laboratory environments and at full scale during field trials at sea and uses results to mathematically model the processes and validate models developed. Prior to joining the Marine Institute, Dr. Brown was an ice engineer at C-CORE where he developed Monte-Carlo-based probabilistic risk models for ice impact with offshore structures and pipelines.

Pam Hall Collaborator (IWP4) To learn more please view www.pamhall.ca and https://encyclopediaoflocalknowledge.com/ .

Natalie Slawiski Lead (WP7), Co-investigator (IWP3) Dr. Natalie Slawinski has significant experience working with community partners on teaching, research, and knowledge dissemination activities relating to social enterprise in Newfoundland and Labrador. For example, PI Slawinski has worked closely on research and outreach activities with Shorefast, a registered charity that runs social enterprises and whose mission is cultural and economic resilience for Fogo Island, since 2016 as part of a SSHRC partnership development grant. In 2018, PI Slawinski co-organized a Community Resilience Workshop on Fogo Island, with her research team in partnership with Shorefast. The Fogo Island Workshop, which became the first of a series of ongoing “PLACE Dialogues”, brought together 40 community champions from across Newfoundland and Labrador to discuss the lessons learned from research on the role of Shorefast’s social enterprises for community development on Fogo Island. Building on the lessons from the research, and the dialogue from the Workshop, our research team developed a PLACE framework of community development. With Research Partner Kimberly Orren, co-founder of Fishing for Success, PI Slawinski has collaborated on several knowledge mobilization initiatives including co-organizing the PLACE Dialogues in Petty Harbour Workshop in October 2019. In addition, PI Slawinski is an academic advisor for the Centre for Social Enterprise (CSE) at Memorial University, and a Research Fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Social Innovation (CCSI) in the UK.

Lorenzo Moro Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Lorenzo Moro is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering at Memorial University of Newfoundland. He received a Ph.D., a M.Sc., and a bachelor’s degree in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture from the University of Trieste, Italy. His research is primarily situated in ship design methods and maritime safety, focusing on noise pollution from ships, noise exposures of seafarers, and ship structural dynamics. He is technical member for Canada in the Technical Committee II.2 Dynamic Response of the 21st International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress, and chair of the Canadian Atlantic Branch of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. His research has been funded by government and private agencies, including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF) through the Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI).

David Molyneux Co-investigator (WP1, WP3) Dr. David Molyneux is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering at Memorial University and Director of the Ocean Engineering Research Centre. He had a long career in private and public sector marine research organizations before joining Memorial in 2015. His research specialized in several aspects of ship stability (static and dynamic), ship safety and ship performance, including ship performance in ice. Many of these research projects included a combination of numerical simulation, model experiments or full-scale trials. He has been an active member of organizing committees for several conferences, including OMAE (2015 to 2021), Arctic Technology Conference (2012 to 2018) and AUV 2020.

Memorial University Sarah McGuire Master's Student (WP1) More to come.

GOVERNANCE FOCI’s governance framework has been designed to coordinate and integrate the project’s activities and support FOCI’s researchers and partners in their research. FOCI CORE FOCI’s Core Unit holds primary responsibility for leading planning of project implementation, financial management, monitoring project progress, and evaluation. It works closely with the Ocean Frontier Institute offices and other administrative departments at Memorial University and Dalhousie University to manage and implement project activities and ensure compliance with funding guidelines. The Core Unit is also responsible for coordinating reporting, overseeing data management, as well as supporting and facilitating communications and outreach within the FOCI Consortium, with project stakeholders and the wider public. FOCI’s Core Unit is composed of: Paul Foley, FOCI Co-Principal Investigator Lorenzo Moro, FOCI Co-Principal Investigator MacKenzie Young, Project Manager Sheridan Thompson, Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator PROGRAM COMMITTEE The FOCI Program Committee is comprised of the project work package leaders and is co-chaired by FOCI’s co-principal investigators. The committee provides a forum to review progress towards overall program objectives and milestones, discuss challenges, consult on program adjustments, and develop strategies to enhance integration, engagement and research dissemination. Program Committee Members Paul Foley (Co-Chair), Memorial University, School of Science and the Environment, Environmental Policy Institute, Grenfell Campus Lorenzo Moro (Co-Chair), Memorial University, Department of Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering Robert Brown, Memorial University, Marine Institute Kim Cullen, Memorial University, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation Joel Finnis, Memorial University, Department of Geography Karen Foster, Dalhousie University, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology Max Liboiron, Memorial University, Department of Geography Barbara Neis, Memorial University, Department of Sociology Nicole Power, Memorial University, Department of Sociology Howard Ramos, Western University, Department of Sociology Natalie Slawinski, University of Victoria, Gustavson School of Business Robert Stephenson, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and University of New Brunswick Mark Stoddart, Memorial University, Department of Sociology ADVISORY COMMITTEE The FOCI Advisory Committee brings together diverse experiences and perspectives from senior researchers in different disciplines and external stakeholders. The committee’s role is to monitor FOCI’s progress towards overall objectives and provide guidance to strengthen FOCI research, partnerships, engagement, EDI, knowledge mobilization, and research impacts. Recommendations from the Advisory Committee are shared with the FOCI Core Unit and Program Committee. Advisory Committee Members Barbara Neis (Chair), Memorial University Brian Veitch, Memorial University Robert Stephenson, Fisheries and Oceans Canada & University of New Brunswick Robert Mellin, McGill University Philip Strong, Government of Newfoundland, Disability Policy Office

Memorial University Mohannad AlRefai Co-op Student (WP3) Mohannad AlRefai is a senior Ocean and Naval Architectural Engineering student at Memorial University St. John's campus. Born in Egypt, Mohannad would often visit the Suez canal as well as other coastal parts of Egypt, where his passion for naval architecture grew. Mohannad has previous co-op work experience in MUN where he was a research assistant for Dr. Mikko from Aalto University, who was conducting research on ice-ship interaction. Additionally, Mohannad had a co-op work term at local start-up Enaimco. With an expected graduation in Winter 2025, Mohannad aspires to contribute significantly to the field of naval architecture, whether in the field of academia or otherwise.

Marine Institute, Memorial University Mohammad Zarrin Mehr Master's Student (WP3) Mohammad is an experienced safety and risk engineer who has been involved in some mega-sized onshore, offshore, FLNG, and FPSO projects worldwide. He is a master’s student in the Maritime Studies Department of the Memorial University of Newfoundland. His research interests encompass marine and offshore safety studies, and his current research focuses on Search and Rescue (SAR) in maritime emergency situations. This research allows for a detailed investigation of the factors with the highest impact on SAR effectiveness. This was accomplished by developing a new macro-scale generalized SAR model to simulate the main activities within the SAR system in Eastern Canada and the Arctic. This model uses discrete event simulation to represent the SAR operations and a probabilistic Monte Carlo approach to incorporate uncertainties in performance data for the different components of the system. Through his research, it is possible that strategic decision-making for SAR resource allocation and configuration can be improved. The objective nature of this model enables SAR planning and asset positioning to be possible, depending on the likelihood and type of incidents, as well as the resources in different regions which may have different needs.

Grenfell Campus, Memorial University Umme Kulsum Postdoctoral Fellow (IWP1) Dr Umme Kulsum is a Postdoctoral Fellow in FOCI’s IWP #1 , conducting research that will undertake methodological comparison and advance application of ‘foresighting’ and ‘full-spectrum sustainability scenario comparison’ for future ocean and coastal infrastructures. She will play a leadership role in contributing to the synthesis framework, practical toolkit for coastal community and other practitioners. She is involved in engaging the Consortium’s ‘trainee caucus’, and the international Community of Practice organized by the work package. Kulsum in her most recent activities in Bangladesh, as National Climate Change and Risk Management Expert in Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has supported Department of Fisheries (DoF) on community-based climate resilient fisheries and aquaculture. She has facilitated climate risk and vulnerability assessment, developed manual, conducted training on integrated climate information services, climate resilience and ecosystem approaches to fisheries and aquaculture. She is an environmental science graduate from Khulna University, Bangladesh. Her interdisciplinary doctoral research has focused on participatory scenario-based approaches in bridging coastal community adaptation with adaptive delta management under uncertain climate and socioeconomic change. This research was in collaborative ‘Adaptive Delta Management’ project at Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, Delft University of Technology (Tudelft), in Netherlands, Institute of Water and Flood Management (IWFM), Bangladesh University of Technology (BUET) in Bangladesh and other international groups. She has a long experience in coastal community development, disaster risk management, food and livelihood security. Currently, Kulsum is working under the supervision of Asoc Prof Paul Foley and Dr Rob Stephenson (in FOCI) to integrate and apply the concepts of foresighting and full-spectrum sustainability, to further the aims and objectives of the wider FOCI project working groups.

Whitney Lackenbauer Co-investigator (WP3) Dr. P. Whitney Lackenbauer is the Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) in the Study of the Canadian North and a Professor in the School for the Study of Canada at Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. He is also Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of 1st Canadian Ranger Patrol Group, which encompasses patrols throughout Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. His research focuses on Arctic policy, sovereignty, security, and governance issues; modern Canadian and circumpolar history; military history and contemporary defence policy; and Indigenous-state relations in Canada. This includes a particular focus on discerning ways to strengthen search and rescue (SAR) and emergency response capabilities in the Canadian North by clarifying and harmonizing the roles, responsibilities, and capabilities of the community-based organizations (e.g. Coast Guard Auxiliary, volunteer SAR teams, Canadian Rangers) and devising ways of better incorporating these groups into plans and policies. This research is a component of the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN) that he leads, which is funded by the Department of National Defence Mobilizing Insights in Defence and Security (MINDS) program from 2019-22. Dr. Lackenbauer will contribute to Work Package 3 “Search and Rescue in Remote Regions.

Dalhousie University Brenna Sobanski Research Assistant (WP6) To learn more about Sobanski Brenna, (She/Her) — Faculty of Social Sciences (mcmaster.ca)