SSHRC-funded projects will improve education, business and health in Canada (London, June 3, 2005) – The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) announced today an $81.2 million investment in research that will help Canadians improve their quality of life and enjoy a vigorous economy. This investment supports 977 research projects at 77 Canadian universities and colleges across all 10 Canadian provinces. “The research funded today truly demonstrates the wealth of creativity, innovation and expertise that exists in this country,” said Marc Renaud, president of SSHRC. “Canadians from all walks of life will draw on this knowledge to better understand our most pressing economic, political, social and cultural issues.” Some examples of the nearly 1,000 research projects funded: Heather Laschinger from The University of Western Ontario will help recruit more young people into the nursing profession and decrease burnout in hospitals across the country by examining how to improve working conditions and increase job satisfaction for Canadian nurses. Marie McAndrew of the Université de Montréal will examine how the Muslim world is portrayed in school textbooks and curriculum in order to help Canadian schools become more inclusive and better able to promote the values of tolerance and multiculturalism to Canada’s increasingly diverse student body. Robert Krider of Simon Fraser University will help Canada become more competitive in the global market. His research will use the example of Wal-Mart entering the Canadian market to shed light on retail business strategies and the consequences of such powerful competition on local companies. Shaheen Shariff of McGill University will make Canadian schools safer by better understanding the consequences of cyber-bullying and developing school policies and programs to protect Canadian children from being victimized online. “From British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, these projects will help fuel excellence in research and research training across the country,” said Renaud. “And help prepare both Canada and Canadian students to meet the challenges of the future.” Following a national peer-reviewed competition, SSHRC’s Standard Research Grants program awarded grants of up to $250,000 over three years to individual researchers and small teams from universities and colleges across the country. A significant portion of this funding will be used to help prepare graduate students for careers, not only in research, but in positions throughout the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. List of Standard Research Grants (pdf document 287 KB) For additional information on this release and other SSHRC research projects, please contact: Doré Dunne Media relations officer Telephone: (613) 992-7302 E-mail: dore.dunne@sshrc.ca
