York University researcher Susan McGrath, a professor in the School of Social Work in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, has been nominated by York University and selected by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) as one of three finalists for a prestigious SSHRC Impact Award. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in advancing research, research training or knowledge mobilization, or developing a new partnership approach to research and/or related activities.
McGrath, who has been nominated in the Partnership Award category valued at $50,000, has been instrumental in setting up the Refugee Research Network (RRN), an innovative model of research partnerships that work to improve the well-being of refugees and forced migrants. Through the RRN, McGrath’s partnership model has proven successful in producing and mobilizing knowledge – uniting a rich global network of migration research centres. She has collaborated with eminent scholars in the field to develop strong research clusters in refugee studies and worked with partners to establish regional networks in areas that face significant human displacement. The knowledge generated through RRN is being disseminated broadly across academic, practice and policy sectors, helping to improve the well-being of refugees and strengthen the national and global policies and practices designed to protect them. She also helped strengthen the Centre for Refugee Studies, which emerged as the leading refugee research centre in North America under her tenure as director from 2004 to 2012.
“Professor McGrath is deeply committed to transferring new knowledge beyond the academy to policy communities and grassroots organizations,” said Robert Haché, York’s vice-president research and innovation. “She has increased Canada’s global reach in the field by fostering and expanding refugee research networks in critical areas.”
The Partnership Award recognizes an SSHRC-funded formal partnership for its outstanding achievement in advancing research, research training or knowledge mobilization, or developing a new partnership approach to research and/or related activities. It is awarded to a partnership that, through mutual co-operation and shared intellectual leadership and resources, has demonstrated impact and influence within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community. The annual Impact Awards recognize the highest achievements from outstanding researchers, students and research partners in social sciences and humanities research, research training, knowledge mobilization and scholarship funded partially or completely by SSHRC.
The winners in each category—as well as the gold medal recipient—will be presented with their awards at a ceremony in Ottawa on Monday, Nov. 3.
For more information, read the news release on the SSHRC website.