Workshop on Policy Impact Assessment
Date: Friday, May 1, 2026
Venue: CLARI, 923 Robie Street, Atrium Building Room 340, Halifax, NS
Format: Hybrid
Program Schedule
09:00 – 09:30
Opening Remarks
- Adam J. Sarty, Ph.D.Associate Vice-President, Research; Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research — Saint Mary’s University
- Ryan KellySenior Project Leader, Economic Research and Analysis — ISED – Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
09:30 – 10:30
Panel
BIGS at the Federal Level
- Shaping Clean Transitions: The Role of Government Support in Firm-level InnovationClaudia De Fuentes — Saint Mary’s University
- Impact Assessment of BIGS Programs on Firm Performance in Canada Using the CDM ModelTatevik Poghosyan — Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
- The Impact of Clean Technology Innovation Support on Firm-level R&D Investment in CanadaJoseph Jung — Saint Mary’s University
10:30 – 10:45
Coffee Break
10:45 – 11:30
Co-Designing Rural Aging-In-Place Health Policy Frameworks
Kate Linden — Cape Breton University
11:30 – 12:15
BIGS and Productivity Growth
Ryan Kelly — Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada
12:15 – 13:45
Lunch and Round Table
13:45 – 14:45
Keynote
Causal Inference and Machine Learning in Economics, Social, and Health Sciences
- Mutlu Yuksel — Dalhousie University
- Yigit Aydede — Saint Mary’s University
14:45 – 15:30
When Fiduciary Duty Fades: The Cost of Weaker Director Liability for Creditors
Bryce Cross — Saint Mary’s University
15:30 – 16:15
The Impact of Innovation Subsidies in Atlantic Canada
Joniada Milla — Saint Mary’s University
16:15 – 16:20
Closing Remarks
- Michel DelormeDean, Sobey School of Business — Saint Mary’s University
- Shannon DeaProvost and Vice-President, Academic and Research — Saint Mary’s University
18:00 – 21:00
Dinner — Venue TBD
Sponsors

Saint Mary’s University