The Centre for Human Rights Research is an inter-faculty research centre within the University of Manitoba. The academic director reports to an Associate Vice-President (Research).

Staff

Academic Director: this position is held by a full-time faculty member with an established reputation in the field of human rights research. The director is appointed by the Vice-President (Research), with advice from the CHRR advisory board and from CHRR members. The term of the director is normally five years, renewable. The responsibilities of the director include but are not limited to:

• ensuring the general objectives of the centre are met;

• conducting and facilitating research in the field of human rights;

• generating research proposals;

• providing assistance to other faculty in the generation of research proposals;

• ensuring the organization of workshops, seminars, lectures, etc.;

• liaising with university departments and centres;

• supervising CHRR staff and research assistants; and

• administering and allocating centre funds.

Manager: The duties of the manager (outreach and research) include but are not limited to:

• assisting the academic director in meeting the objectives of the centre;

• developing and maintaining relationships with community partners and funders;

• identifying research funding opportunities and assisting with grant applications and reporting;

• public relations, including website maintenance and writing annual report;

• organization of workshops and other events;

• editing CHRR publications;

• supervision of office assistant; and

• developing speaker’s bureau and student internships.

Office Assistant: (half time) The duties of the office assistant include but are not limited to:

• event planning, including registration, catering, room reservations, brochure printing and travel arrangements for speakers;

• website updates;

• general administrative duties.

Advisory board

The board advises the director on matters relating to policy for the centre. The deans of Arts, Law, Social Work and Education each appoint two members. The associate VP Research and the academic director of the CHRR are also members.

Community members and representatives of other faculties will be brought onto the board as specific projects warrant or as the centre expands. New faculty representatives will be appointed by the appropriate dean and community members will be appointed by the Associate VP Research, on the advice of the director and in consultation with the board. The board will have a maximum of 18 members.

The term of tenure for individual board members is three years, for no more than two consecutive terms. Responsibilities of the board include, but are not limited to:

• providing ongoing advice and guidance to the director;

• liaison with individual faculties and the community;

• making recommendations concerning research focus;

• providing advice on centre memberships; and

• establishing working committees as required.

Members

CHRR members will be individuals with a solid reputation in human rights research and PhD or equivalent qualifications who desire a formal affiliation with the Centre for Human Rights Research to facilitate collaborative research or the centre’s other activities. Centre membership is also open to members of the advisory board. There is no salary associated with the appointment. Two categories will be recognized:

• Research affiliates are individuals with full-time academic appointments at the University of Manitoba whose research is primarily focused on human rights, or individuals with a national or international reputation for human rights research who hold appointments at other universities.

• Professional affiliates are primarily employed by a non-university organization devoted to human rights. They will engage in collaborative research with CHRR and/or assist with CHRR events.

Decisions on accepting members will be made by the director, with advice from the advisory committee.

Members will have access to administrative and communications assistance from CHRR staff, as resources permit. They are expected to contribute to research and outreach activities supported by the CHRR, including:

• performing multidisciplinary and collaborative human rights research of benefit to the community or for peer-reviewed publication;

• participating in seminar series, consultations, roundtables and other research dissemination events;

• fostering links with other human rights researchers within and outside U of M; and

• supervising graduate and undergraduate students participating in CHRR research.

Members are expected to name the CHRR in work that benefited from the CHRR’s resources and, wherever possible, to build a financial contribution toward CHRR’s operations into grant applications for research that requires CHRR assistance.