York researchers receive more than $5.5 million in research funding

Researchers at York University have been awarded more than $5.5 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The grants, part of more than $107 million in funding and awards recently announced in the Insight Development Grants and Insight Grants Competition, will support York research that improves the quality of life of Canadians, while advancing knowledge and building understanding of complex socio-cultural and economic issues.

The announcement of the recipients of more than 760 grants to power new research initiatives was delivered Monday by Greg Rickford, federal minister of state (science and technology).

hache“SSHRC’s investment provides a foundation for our researchers in the social sciences and humanities to conduct cutting-edge fundamental research that identifies and applies solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing society today,” said Robert Haché (left), York’s vice-president research & innovation. “Research at York is research with an impact and research that makes a difference.”

Thirty-seven York researchers received more than $5.5 million to fund their research projects through SSHRC’s Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants programs.

The funding was granted for research covering a wide range of topics, including:

  • Schools, safety and the urban neighborhood;
  • Riots in the Maghreb: A socio-anthropological contribution of dissenting voices;
  • From norm takers to norm shakers and makers? A comparative study of tax transplants in China and India;
  • Wrestling with tradition: community, authority and change in law and religion;
  • Multimedia and transmedia texts, cultural change and youth readers; and
  • Transitioning from a fossil(ized) to a bio-based economy: A case study of biofuels in the Canadian Context.

“This investment in social sciences and humanities research is a cornerstone to building Canada’s capacity for innovation,” said Chad Gaffield, president of SSHRC. “Through the Insight Grants and Insight Development Grants, we are supporting the highest levels of research excellence. This research will generate knowledge about the past and present that will lead to innovative solutions for today’s most pressing social, cultural, technological, environmental and economic issues, and improve the lives of Canadians.”