Virginie Portes appointed Director of Research Support at IVADO

Montreal, June 1, 2023 – IVADO, led by Université de Montréal with the support of four university partners — Polytechnique Montréal, HEC Montréal, Université Laval and McGill University — is pleased to announce the appointment of Virginie Portes to the position of Director of Research Support. Her official start date is August 7, 2023.

Virginie Portes has over 20 years’ experience in research support. As Director of Grants and Communications at the Office of Research at the Université de Montréal, she led a team of professionals providing research funding support services to over 1,200 professors. Virginie has contributed to the development of many interdisciplinary research projects in various fields, launched numerous funding programs and set up various grant-writing trainings.

More recently, as Director of Strategic Initiatives, she spearheaded IVADO’s application to the Canada First Research Excellence Fund competition and the submission of several applications for Canada Excellence Research Chairs, with a lot of success. Over the course of her mandates, she has also developed expertise in knowledge mobilization, social innovation and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). Virginie also played a leadership role within Réseau Impact Recherche/Research Impact Canada, a network of over 20 Canadian universities engaged in mobilization activities. Trained in France and Quebec in law, political science and history, Virginie has also worked at the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). She has a thorough understanding of universities and a passion for research.

“ I am thrilled to be part of a dynamic team and make a meaningful contribution to the advancement of interdisciplinary research in artificial intelligence. IVADO has truly excelled in building an ecosystem of excellence in AI in Montreal. Furthermore, with the recent prestigious recognition of the Apogee Canada grant, the consortium is poised to further its development and strategically position itself in the transformation of AI and its applications.”

— Virginie Portes

“ We warmly welcome Virginie as she joins the IVADO team. Her extensive background in research support and knowledge mobilization, coupled with her expertise in equity, diversity, and inclusion, as well as her demonstrated leadership, are valuable assets that will enhance our mission of promoting the advancement of a robust, reasoning, and responsible AI. We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Brian Moore for his dedicated work in this role and his invaluable contribution to the Apogee application. Additionally, we wish to acknowledge and thank Guillaume Chicoisne for his outstanding interim management. ”

— Luc Vinet, Chief Executive Officer, IVADO