Office of the Vice-President, Research

The general role of the Office ot the Vice-President, Research is to coordinate and oversee all of the university’s research activities.

The team is dedicated to research, and steering the Université de Sherbrooke among the ranks of the best research universities.

Valérie Laflamme has a PhD in demography and social sciences. A public policy researcher, she has taught such subjects as Sociology and Demography, particularly in France, and helped launch large-scale scientific collaborations.

Acknowledged as an influential leader in Canada’s research community, Valérie Laflamme has over fifteen years of experience in strategic positions within the federal government, notably as a senior manager with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, where she helped define and implement major national programs.

Her expertise in program development, research funding, and partnership mobilization has made her a key actor in scientific development with a recognized ability to advance ambitious and inclusive initiatives that benefit the entire research community.

As Vice-Rector for Research and Vice-Rector for International Relations, Valérie Laflamme will have the mission of supporting and strengthening UdeS research activities across all disciplines. She will help increase their impact on major societal issues and enhance the benefits they bring. She will also play a key role in developing international partnerships and positioning the Université de Sherbrooke as a partner of choice for the scientific community, particularly among Francophone institutions.

• Contact Valérie Laflamme

Patricia Fournier is Associate Vice-President for Research Development at the Université de Sherbrooke, where she provides strategic leadership for all research activities and research groups to strengthen their visibility and competitiveness at the national and international levels. With over twenty years of experience within the Rectorate, she has made a significant contribution to structuring and advancing the research environment, notably through the development of institutional policies, programs, and initiatives, the mobilization of teams, and the coordination of large-scale projects, including the creation of major research infrastructures such as the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) and the MiQro Innovation Collaborative Centre (C2MI), as well as the technical organization of the Acfas Congress.

She plays a key role in strategic planning, the management of funding programs, research security, and relations with government and industry partners, while ensuring close collaboration with faculties and institutional services. Recognized for her ability to mobilize diverse stakeholders and navigate complex environments, she also acts as an ambassador for research within several national and international bodies, actively contributing to the University’s positioning and impact.

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Christian Sarra-Bournet has a PhD in Materials Engineering (Université Laval) and a PhD in Electrical Engineering (Université de Toulouse), and has been the Executive Director of the Institut quantique de l'Université de Sherbrooke (IQ) for more than ten years. He participated in the project From Quantum Science to Quantum Technologies, which has been selected in the Inaugural Competition of the Canada First Research Excellence Fund. Christian Sarra-Bournet also participated in the creation of the first IBM Quantum Centre in Canada, and the world’s first French‑language bachelor’s degree in Quantum Information Science.

Christian Sarra-Bournet is the Scientific Director of Distriq, Zone Innovation Quantique de Sherbrooke. He is also a board member of Prompt, QVStudio, the Fonds de recherche du Québec - Secteur Nature et technologies, and the ministère de la Cybersécurité et du Numérique du Québec.

Christian Sarra-Bournet will play a key role in the development of a strategic and operational infrastructure leadership, including the institutional research platforms network of the Université de Sherbrooke. He will also collaborate with IQ, 3IT, SARIC, and the Office of the Vice-Dean, Research, and the Office of the Vice-Dean Partnerships, in order to ensure quantum science and technologies development.

• Contact Christian Sarra-Bournet