Global Research Excellence - Awarded Projects & Metrics

2024 – 2025 Call Highlights (Launch: May 2024)

13

Funded Projects

4

Top 200 Ranked Partners (THE, QS, Nature, ARWU)

9

Projects engaging Global South/ Global Indigenous Partners

(Co-PI/collaborator)

7

Early/Mid-Career Researcher led projects

GRE Funding Committed

External Funds Secured (Includes partner commitments)

Value of External Grant Applications Supported by GRE (SSHRC-PEG & Insight, NSERC CREATE, GAC-Indo-Pacific RCE)

5 projects

Engaging York research clusters (ORUs, CRCs, YRCs, Endowed Chairs & Connected Minds)

2 projects

Focused on international graduate/post-doctoral fellow training (e.g. CREATE, joint PDFs.)

3 projects

Engaging international non-academic partners (Industry, NGOs, the UN, Arts & Cultural Organizations, etc.)

Awarded Projects

Children and Women Knowledge Revitalization in Times of Climate Crisis

Dr. Cristina Delgado Vintimilla, Faculty of Education (MCR)

Museo del Centro de Investigacion e Interoretacion de Ingapirca, Ecuador

The critical question of how to respond to times of ecological crisis and land devastation has yet to be addressed outside the business-as-usual responses that caused it. These capitalist and colonial approaches have offloaded the burden of ecological precarity and land destruction, particularly onto women and our younger generations, threatening their health, education, security and lives. This project addresses this question by generating insights from Canari-campesinos women and children in Ecuador.

Extreme Weather and Travel Behaviour Changes

Dr. Mahtot Gebresselassie, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (ECR)

Dr. Dwayne M. Baker, Queens College, City University of New York, United States of America

The proposed research aims to investigate whether, how, and why people modify their travel behaviour during extreme weather (extreme heat, flooding, snowstorm, and heavy rains) by taking case studies of New York City and Toronto. In addition to understanding overall changes to travel pattern, we are interested in examining whether socioeconomic and demographic attributes of travelers affect any travel behaviour modification.

Shaping the Future of AI: Artificial Intelligence Governance in Global Dynamics

Dr. Muyang Li, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (ECR)

Dr. Wenhong Chen, The University of Texas at Austin, United States of America

Artificial Intelligence (AI) holds transformative potential but raises concerns about surveillance, data ethics, social inclusion, digital colonialism, and national security. This project explores the diverse regulatory approaches to AI governance in regions including the U.S., E.U., China, and Canada. By examining the geopolitical and technopolitical dynamics influencing these strategies, the project aims to foster a holistic understanding of AI governance and its global implications.

Deepening International Collaboration on Essential Technologies for Autonomous Systems

Dr. Jinjun Shan, Lassonde School of Engineering

Professor Marcus Ryll, Technical University of Munich, Germany

While the field of autonomous unmanned vehicles (UAVs) has made tremendous progress in recent years, many questions remain unanswered. The increased popularity of data-driven algorithms in both perception systems and planning systems require a second wave of innovation; verifiability, safety and explainability are key requirements to allow the transition from systems suitable for showcases towards production-ready autonomous vehicles. This collaborative project seeks to advance essential technology in UAVs to promote cooperative control, high-precision navigation and decision making in areas such as self-driving and cooperative drone transportation.

Probing the early University using Large Scale Radiation Hydrodynamic Simulations

Dr. Rahul Kannan, Faculty of Science (ECR)

Prof. Mark Vogelsberger, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), United States

Galaxies are vast self-gravitating systems, making them the basic building blocks of structure in the University. Understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies is vital to discerning the history of the Universe. Fortunately, the recent advent of the James Webb Space Telescope as led to a flood of observational data. This project and GRE grant builds off Dr. Kannan and Prof. Vogelsberger’s recent mapping of galaxy formation by the hiring of a joint PDF researcher to study reionization and the back-reaction of radiation on galaxy formation.

A Multi Disciplinary Approach to Technology, Society and the Future of Marginalized Communities

Dr. Christo El Morr, Faculty of Health

Dr. Anoop George, Institute of Technology Palakkad, India

The collaboration will produce a two-day workshop to offer a unique multi disciplinary exploration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The workshop will offer technical insights into AI, examine its social impacts, and investigate the philosophy behind our relationship with technology. Experts from engineering, social sciences, and the humanities will guide you toward responsible AI development and governance for a better future.

Harnessing AI for Infectious Disease Preparedness

Dr. Vijay Mago, Faculty of Health

Dr. Sanasam Ranbir Singh, Institute of Technology Guwahati, India

Infectious disease continues to threaten global public health. AI offers a powerful solution, with the ability to analyze vast amounts of data and detect subtle outbreak signals much faster. This project will organize a workshop that unites experts in AI, public health, and infectious diseases to explore the potential of AI-driven early warning systems. Participants will gain hands-on experience, learn from case studies, and collaborate to design strategies for integrating AI into outbreak preparedness.

Transnational Knowledge Practices after Covid-19: Social media networks of young Indian migrants

Dr. Tania Das Gupta, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Students

Dr. Sugandha Nagpal, O.P. Jindal Global University, India

Young migrants’ decision-making is shaped by knowledge derived formally and informally. During the Covid-19 Pandemic, networking through social media intensified. This project seeks to analyze what are the best communication practices with prospective migrants and newcomers and how does class, gender racialization/caste figure into these practices.

Navigating Infrastructural Disrepair

Dr. Luisa Sotomayor, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change

Dr. Shubhra Gurani, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Dr. Nausheen Anwar, Karachi Urban Lab, Institute of Business Administration, Pakistan

Urban Workarounds is a three-year initiative (2025-2027) between CITY Institute and YCAR at York University and the Karachi Urban Lab to address infrastructure disrepair, including climate impacts, through transnational knowledge exchange. The project fosters collaboration among academics, policymakers, and grassroots organizations via conferences, workshops, and policy roundtables. It explores infrastructure as a socio-technical issue, focusing on repair as a socio-political practice. The initiative aligns with SDGs 9, 11, 13, and 17, while enhancing collaboration with the Indo-Pacific region.

Securing Arctic Futures with Indigenous-led Digital Presence

Dr. Anna Hudson, School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design

Prof. Pirjo Kristiina Virtanen, University of Helsinki, Finland

This project will offer an in-depth collaborative study of how to use and create digital technologies as a vehicle for relationship building between Indigenous communities, research institutions, museums, policy makers, and economic actors from arctic regions in Canada and in Nordic countries in collaboration with Indigenous co-leads & collaborators from academia, media and arts & cultural industries.