Maggie has over 20 years of leadership experience in international research and development, and a proven track record of strategic leadership as a member of executive management. Recently, Maggie played a significant role in the development and implementation of IDRC’s Strategy 2030, in leading the Centre’s corporate risk, planning and strategy reporting efforts, and in effectively positioning the Centre amongst Canadian and international research and funding actors.

Since coming to the Centre in 2004 as a Research Awardee, she has served in progressively senior roles across a diversity of portfolios, including in Donor Partnerships as Programs Advisor to the Vice-President, Programs and Partnerships, as Chief of Staff to the President, as Director, Policy and Evaluation, and, most recently, as Acting Vice President of Strategy, Regions and Policy Branch since May 2024.

Maggie excels in leading change and motivating teams to achieve objectives under complex and uncertain conditions. She holds a master's degree from Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs in Ottawa and a bachelor's degree in Economics with Honours from St. Thomas University in New Brunswick.

“Maggie’s depth of experience in international research and development, and proven track record of strategic leadership make her uniquely qualified for this role,” said IDRC President Julie Delahanty. “With her dedication to the Centre and her ability to motivate teams to achieve, she will be instrumental in shaping IDRC’s strategic directions.”

“The research and innovation that IDRC supports is an important way in which Canada drives solutions to global problems and contributes to a more stable and prosperous world,” said Maggie Gorman Velez. “I am excited to take on this new role and advance IDRC’s strategic leadership in research for development.” 

Climate change threatens the ability of agricultural systems to sustainably meet the dietary needs of the global population. Its impacts extend to the health and productivity of livestock, which are a key component of food systems in sub-Saharan Africa. They provide essential nutrition, livelihoods to millions of people and safety nets in times of crises for vulnerable households.

Smallholder livestock farmers are disproportionally affected by climate change, as they depend on healthy animals for their livelihoods and food security. They must therefore adapt to and mitigate the harmful impacts of climate change.

RECAF will respond to climate impacts in vulnerable hot spots of sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the following countries: Benin, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast and Togo. These countries were selected during a consultative process involving a wide range of stakeholders across the region, including affected communities.

Led by Southern-based researchers, the initiative will have two streams of research: climate-smart innovations in livestock systems and delivery models to commercialize and scale mature climate-smart innovations.

Learn more about the RECAF initiative 

In a global first, the vaccine trial was set up in just four days after the outbreak was confirmed on January 30, 2025. This was possible due to advanced research preparedness and extensive collaboration among Uganda’s health workers, global partners and hundreds of scientists. A research project jointly funded by IDRC, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada paved the way for the grantee, WHO, to co-implement the trial with Uganda’s Ministry of Health and Makerere University.

The current recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus candidate vaccine was donated by IAVI and also funded by WHO, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the European Commission’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, and supported by Africa CDC. This candidate vaccine has already undergone the necessary phase 1 and 2 clinical trials to ensure its safety and immunogenicity.

The vaccine is now being tested to assess clinical efficacy — a crucial step toward combating future outbreaks. While no licensed vaccine exists yet for Ebola Sudan, the trial could be a game changer in the fight against this Ebola strain. This is a major step forward for pandemic preparedness, and potentially a model of preparedness for future outbreaks of other infections.

Strengthening Africa’s health systems remains crucial for early outbreak detection, rapid response and effective containment of pandemics. Investing in health infrastructure, workforce training and supply chains ensures access to life-saving treatments while preventing economic and social disruption. In parallel, investing in locally led social science and preparedness research is essential for bridging gaps by encouraging creativity, informing policy and facilitating the adoption of new vaccines and technologies. Resilient health systems not only protect Africa but also strengthen global health security against future pandemics.

As part of its ongoing engagement in pandemic preparedness, IDRC is hosting its third (hybrid) roundtable on understanding the private sector’s role in catalyzing Africa’s vaccine innovation ecosystem on March 4, 2025. It will be held at the 6th Africa Health Agenda International Conference 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda. Online participation will be free. Registration is available here.

The freedom to associate, participate in decision-making and express views is fundamental to democracy. Yet, in many countries around the world, these hard-won political and civil rights are being questioned and eroded through physical attacks, online intimidation, smear campaigns, digital surveillance and the lack of response from authorities when attacks occur. Legal and policy restrictions limit individual rights such as same-sex unions and reproductive health services while, increasingly, obstacles like funding bans and censorship are reducing the ability of people and organizations to contest these measures. 

Research is needed to inform the strategies and actions of organizations, groups and movements that advocate for the respect for human rights. Research institutions, networks, and women’s rights and LGBTI+ organizations are leading IDRC-supported research to:

• understand what drives the erosion of rights in each context 
• analyze the strategies used to counter these trends 
• explore how to strengthen rights defenders, for example through alliance-building and cross-movement solidarity
• generate policy recommendations to safeguard rights 

The six research projects are connected through a common research agenda aimed at producing insights across regions and globally.

UN Commission to Review Progress on Gender Equality at Sixty-Ninth Session 

This year’s gathering will focus on the review and appraisal of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA), alongside the outcomes of the 23rd special session of the General Assembly, which reaffirmed global commitments to women's rights and empowerment and the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Amid a rapidly changing and unpredictable landscape and with global leaders, policymakers and advocates in attendance, CSW69 aims to strengthen commitments and accelerate progress toward a more just and equal world.

IDRC is supporting Global South partners to inform this agenda and accelerate progress. Here are some of our contributions: 

See the full schedule and register for the below side events via the CSW69 Side Event Schedule. 

Access to affordable and sustainable energy is crucial for individuals to lead dignified and productive lives. Energy is needed for essential tasks such as food storage and preparation, powering appliances that simplify daily activities, accessing information, earning a living and connecting with others. Without access to energy, the opportunity for a better life remains out of reach. 

Globally, access to affordable and sustainable energy has been improving, but in 2022, 685 million people still lived without electricity, and 2.1 billion relied on polluting fuels and technologies like charcoal, kerosene and wood for cooking. 

As the world transitions to clean energy, it is important to gather evidence on how this shift can achieve scale and benefit all communities, including women, youth and other marginalized groups. Understanding how to scale innovations, secure financing and develop business models for both institutional and private investors can help drive sustainable energy transitions in low-income countries. 

The 2025 Sustainable Energy for All Global Forum, of which IDRC is a sponsor, will explore strategies to drive clean energy transitions and empower marginalized communities, with a focus on women’s leadership. It will connect leaders from different regions, highlighting the significance of women's full and equal participation in shaping sustainable energy solutions and achieving Sustainable Development Goal 7 on affordable and clean energy. 

Research partners from IDRC's CAD18.4-million Clean Energy for Development: A Call to Action (CEDCA) initiative will facilitate evidence-based discussions at the forum. IDRC partner Intellecap and those involved in CEDCA — including the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Economic Community of West African States, the Economic Research Forum and Fundación Bariloche — along with IDRC staff will share insights and emerging impacts from their projects, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts to achieve sustainable energy solutions that drive a low-carbon transition. 

On March 13, a high-level panel discussion entitled Empowering Women in Leadership: Innovations, Finance and Inclusive Transitions in Clean Energy will feature prominent women leaders, policy experts, corporate executives and private sector representatives. The session will focus on building stronger partnerships and networks to support women’s participation and advancement, covering key topics such as leadership in energy transitions, the interplay of gender and finance, mentorship and the need for inclusive solutions to overcome the structural and normative barriers that women face. 

A full program is available here. 

Sponsored by IDRC and other partners, the AfHEA’s Scientific Conference brings together dignitaries, health-care practitioners, researchers and academics to share solutions that can promote and strengthen health economics and policy analysis in Africa. The 2025 conference will take place at the Kigali Convention Centre from March 10 to 14, 2025, under the theme Resilient and Strong African Health Systems: Contributions of Health Economics and Health Policy. 

Strengthening vaccine research and manufacturing in the Global South is critical to saving lives, fostering resilience, and ensuring health security. This is particularly true in Africa, where only 1% of the vaccines used on the continent are produced locally.

From March 2 to 5, 2025, experts will come together for the 6th Africa Health Agenda International Conference in Kigali, Rwanda, to share innovations and strategies that drive improved health outcomes in Africa. Hosted by Amref Health Africa, this year’s conference will address vaccine insufficiencies, climate change, and other sustainable development challenges.

As part of the conference, IDRC will host a hybrid roundtable discussion on understanding the private sector’s role in catalyzing Africa’s vaccine innovation ecosystem. This will be the third session in a series of discussions on advancing vaccine research and mobilization in Africa, taking place on March 4 in Kigali and online. Free registration for this event is available here. Session one and session two are also available to watch online.

IDRC is a key supporter of vaccine research and development in Africa, supporting research that aims to reduce dependency on outside manufacturing revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. African leaders aim to produce 60% of all vaccines locally by 2040. 

IDRC-supported initiatives that contribute to these efforts include: 

• Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in Africa, led by the African Health Economics and Policy Association in collaboration with Africa CDC and the UN Economic Commission for Africa. This project aims to improve African capacity for research and development, strengthen its contributions to global diplomacy for fair vaccine trade agreements and, in selected countries, improve the distribution, delivery and administration of COVID-19 vaccines. 
• A global-first vaccine trial for the Sudan Ebola virus. Made possible by African leadership, advanced research preparedness, and collaboration among Uganda’s health workers, global partners, and hundreds of scientists, this project is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Public Health Agency of Canada, paving the way for the grantee, WHO, to support the leadership of Uganda’s Ministry of Health and Makerere University and jointly implement the trial. 

IDRC is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Bentley and Hopper-Bhatia Research Awards. Sofia Jomo, a graduate of `the food, nutrition and dietetics master’s degree program at Kenyatta University in Kenya, is the 2025 recipient of the Bentley and IDRC Research Award. Mercy Muthuuri, a student in the master’s degree program in public policy and global affairs at the University of British Columbia, Canada received the Hopper-Bhatia and IDRC Research Award.

The Bentley Award is offered to an IDRC-supported researcher doing work related to agriculture. Sofia is researching the commitments and progress that East African countries (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Rwanda) have made in transforming their food systems following the United Nations Food Systems Summit. Her work is part of the Centre’s Climate-Resilient Food Systems program.

The Hopper-Bhatia and IDRC Research Award is offered to young researchers in the early stages of their careers doing work related to the empowerment of girls, women and Indigenous communities. Mercy is undertaking research on financing women and youth-led green entrepreneurship for an inclusive and low-carbon transition in Kenya. By analyzing systemic barriers, innovative financial tools and institutional frameworks, her work, part of IDRC’s Sustainable Inclusive Economies program, aims to provide actionable recommendations to promote inclusive, gender-responsive and youth-focused climate finance solutions. The findings will contribute to Kenya’s green transition while advancing global commitments to gender equity and sustainable development.