Council's largest funding program will strengthen research community and develop Canadian talent
(Ottawa, June 14, 2007) – Chad Gaffield, president of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, today announced the investment of $77.8 million in university-based research through SSHRC’s Standard Research Grants. This investment supports some 2,800 research projects, including 841 new projects involving 1,581 researchers across the country.
“Research in the social sciences and humanities is integral to strengthening Canada’s quality of life and prosperity in the 21st century,” said Gaffield. “These projects are selected through a rigorous, independent expert-review process, and will deliver research of the highest quality to enhance Canadians’ understanding of people and of our place in the world.”
The Standard Research Grants program is SSHRC’s largest granting initiative for projects by university researchers. Standard Research Grants are available to an individual researcher or a team of researchers for programs of research that may take up to three years. The maximun value of the grants is $100,000 per year, but may not total more than $250,000 in a three-year period.
This year’s recipients of Standard Research Grants will undertake research across a broad spectrum of the humanities and social sciences, including history, education, politics, economics, law and literature. These research projects will also provide students and scholars with training that will increase Canada’s talent pool for the private, public and voluntary sectors.
Researchers receiving 2007 Standard Research Grants include:
Tanya Beran, from the faculty of education at the University of Calgary, who will research the growing rate of cyber-bullying, as well as the way children and parents perceive it;
Larisa V. Shavinina, from the department of administrative sciences at the Université du Québec en Outaouais, who will explore aspects of early childhood and adolescent education that may shape the talent of Nobel laureates;
Ratana Chuenpagdee, the Canada Research Chair in Natural Resource Sustainability and Community Development at Memorial University of Newfoundland, who will study the management of coastal resources in Newfoundland communities to find solutions for coastal communities worldwide; and
Richard Clément, from the University of Ottawa school of psychology, who, by examining the experiences of francophones in Saskatchewan and of Gaelic learners in Nova Scotia, will explore language acquisition, retention and cultural identity.
“The knowledge gained through these research projects will enhance our understanding of the complex challenges and opportunities facing us today, including our environment, our economy, our culture, our security and our health,” said Gaffield. “The Standard Research Grants program illustrates the advantages that guide the government’s new science and technology strategy—namely, the strategy’s people, knowledge and entrepreneurial advantages. By advancing research and developing highly trained individuals, we are positioning Canada to succeed in the rapidly changing global environment of the 21st century.”
List of Standard Research Grants (pdf document 213 KB).
For additional information on this release and other SSHRC research projects, please contact:
Ian McLeod
Media Relations Advisor
Tel.: 613-947-4629
Cell: 613-294-6203
E-mail: ian.mcleod@sshrc.ca
