Last week, six people were recognized for their ground-breaking work at the Governor General’s Innovation Awards. One of the things that I find unique about these awards is the celebration of academic innovations, like CHIME, a revolutionary new Canadian telescope as well as frontline innovations, like Embers Staffing Solutions, a radical rethinking of temporary and transitional work for people facing multiple barriers. 

As an aerospace engineer and a social change nut, my brain didn’t know which innovation to get more excited about. 

In the end, I settled on: they both matter. 

I do wonder however, especially during this time of COVID-19 relief-related work across Canada: How much academic knowledge makes it to the frontline, and how much frontline knowledge makes it to academia?

Let me dive into one side of this coin for now.