Prominent historian will champion research and innovation
(Ottawa, September 19, 2006) –The Government of Canada’s appointment of Chad Gaffield as president of SSHRC means the Council has gained a leader who is not only a seasoned administrator, but an outstanding scholar with an innovative turn of mind.
And with SSHRC evolving from a granting council to a knowledge council—one that engages Canadians in building knowledge through research, and in using that knowledge to help create a better world—the appointment could not be more timely. Gaffield is a prominent researcher who has vigorously championed the values of collaboration and innovation, and, as head of SSHRC, he will help shape the future, not just of the agency, but of the research community as a whole.
One of Canada’s foremost historians, Gaffield comes to the Council from the University of Ottawa, his academic home since 1985. He was the founding director of the university’s Institute of Canadian Studies, and most recently held a University Research Chair. He has the rare distinction of winning awards for excellence in both research and teaching. His other honours include the Royal Society of Canada’s J.B.Tyrrell Medal (as well as election as a Fellow of the society) and the Commemorative Medal for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee.
Gaffield’s administrative experience includes two terms as Ottawa’s vice-dean of graduate studies and research, and membership on the executive committee of the university’s board of governors between 1994 and 2006. He is also a former president of both the Canadian Historical Association and the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.
As a researcher, Gaffield’s most significant current project is his leadership of the Canadian Century Research Infrastructure (CCRI) initiative, one of the country’s largest research projects. The CCRI is creating cross-indexed databases from a century’s worth of national census information, enabling unprecedented understanding of the making of modern Canada.
“I am deeply honoured to be given this opportunity,” said Gaffield of his appointment as SSHRC president. “As Canada’s research agency focused on people, SSHRC enables top-quality research that is vital to Canadians’ well-being.
“We live in complex and challenging times. Today’s most pressing issues, whether economic, political, technological, cultural or social, have crucial human dimensions that must be analysed in rigorous ways if we are to respond effectively. Canada’s future depends on our human assets: the students, researchers and collaborators whose critical insights are advancing knowledge in the social sciences and humanities. SSHRC answers Canadians’ growing need to understand ourselves, to overcome our challenges, and to build the society—and the world—we want.”
For additional information on this release and other SSHRC research projects, please contact:
Eva Schacherl
Manager, Media and External Relations
Telephone: (613) 992-7302
Cell: (613) 222-6103
E-mail: eva.schacherl@sshrc.ca
