More than 40 research projects at York University will receive a boost of $16 million in funding from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), including close to $10 million in Partnership Grants for long-term research projects in anti-homelessness, global health, 2SLGBTQ+ poverty and Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
The funding was announced on June 16 by François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of innovation, science and industry, and is part of more than $175 million in SSHRC funding to support important research across Canada.
“York has long been recognized as a leader in the humanities and social sciences, so we are gratified that SSHRC is recognizing and supporting the York researchers who have received funding through the Insight Grants and Partnership Development Grants, and for our graduate students who have also received support,” said Rhonda Lenton, president and vice-chancellor of York University. “We are particularly delighted for all four of our researchers who received Partnership Grants, which will sustain urgent efforts to combat poverty and homelessness and to strengthen our global public health regime and the self-determination of Indigenous communities.”
The four Partnership Grant recipients, each of whom has received close to $2.5 million in support of six- and seven-year projects, are:
- Stephen Gaetz, professor in the Faculty of Education, received a second consecutive Partnership Grant to continue his work as president and CEO of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) – an anti-homelessness research institute previously funded by the SSHRC in 2012.
- Steven Hoffman, professor of Global Health, Law, and Political Science at the Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School and the Dahdaleh Distinguished Chair in Global Governance & Legal Epidemiology, and director of the Global Strategy Lab, will pursue research into a global framework for sustainable antimicrobial drug use and preventing the proliferation of drug-resistant bacteria.
- Nick Mulé, professor of gender and sexuality at the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, will undertake a project called 2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing. The initiative will address disproportionate vulnerability to poverty among Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer plus (2SLGBTQ+) people.
- Dayna Scott, professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Environment & Urban Change, received funding for “Infrastructure Beyond Extractivism: Material Approaches to Restoring Indigenous Jurisdiction.” The project will explore novel approaches to strengthening Indigenous jurisdiction and sovereignty over hereditary lands and waterways.
The announcement also includes $5.2 million in Insight Grants for 30 researcher projects across multiple Faculties, including Glendon College, the Faculty of Health, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, the School of the Arts, Performance & Design, the Faculty of Education, the Faculty of Environment & Urban Change, the Schulich School of Business and Osgoode Hall Law School.
In addition, six York researchers received just over $1 million in funding under the Partnership Development Grants Program to foster new research and related activities with new or existing partners, and to design and test new partnership approaches.
“I want to congratulate today’s award recipients and wish them success in their research endeavours. SSHRC’s investment in the social sciences and humanities at York University affirms and validates our commitments to scholarship and knowledge-seeking and to building a more sustainable and equitable future,” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation.
“This has been a remarkable year for York. To date, York has achieved record levels of research funding across all three tri-councils and has accomplished the highest ever funding in York’s history with a 100 per cent success rate in the Partnership Grants, Partnership Development Grants and SSHRC Connection Grants, as well as our most successful year in SSHRC Insight Grants. I attribute this success to the passion and dedication of our research community and staff who are so committed to helping York conduct purposeful research for positive change,” added Asif.
A complete list of the SSHRC funding grants can be found here.