Memorial researchers awarded funding for social sciences research

By Krista Davidson | Sept. 3, 2014

Researchers at Memorial University have been awarded significant funding to support research on behalf of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Three Partnership Development Grants were awarded to Memorial researchers in the Faculties of Arts and Education worth a combined total of $596,476. These projects will investigate refugee student integration, building an Innu-Aimun dictionary, and fairy tale cultures and media in today’s society.

Additionally, four Memorial researchers have been named as co-recipients for a Research Partnership Grant that will address the challenges and opportunities faced by those inhabiting rural communities. The initiative is led by Dr. William Reimer, an adjunct professor at Brandon University, and will bring together the world’s leading scholars, experts, policy-makers, government and non-governmental partners. 

Dr. Rantana Chuenpagdee, Department of Geography, has also been awarded funding from a Partnership Grant as co-investigator for a project titled OceanCanada, led by principal investigator Rashid Sumalia, a professor at the University of British Columbia.The project is a collaboration between 15 Canadian universities, non-governmental organizations and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with an aim of better understanding Canada’s oceans and coastal communities. The project was awarded a total of $5,000,645.

“Considering that so much of our population lives in rural communities, it’s vital that we support research that is dedicated to understanding and addressing both the challenges and opportunities inherent in rural settings,” said Dr. Richard Marceau, vice-president (research). “Being able to take part in impactful research among the most talented scholars across the country, and being able to effect change in areas of need, speaks to the calibre of expertise and talent of Memorial’s researchers.”

SSHRC is the federal research funding agency that promotes and supports post-secondary research and training in the humanities and social sciences.

Partnership Development Grants

The Partnership Development Grants benefit new research collaboration among private, public and not-for-profit sectors on issues that will advance our understanding of people and society.

• Dr. Martin Lovelace, Department of Folklore, Fairy Tale Cultures and Media Today, $200,000

• Dr. Margeurite MacKenzie, Department of Linguistics, Dictionnaire Atikamekw, $200,000

• Dr. Xuemei Li, Faculty of Education, Refugee Student Integration: Building Welcoming Communities and Schools for a Sustainable Future, $196,476

Partnership Grants

Partnership Grants provide support for new and existing formal partnerships over four-to-seven years to advance research, research training and/or knowledge mobilization in the social sciences and humanities through mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership, as well as through resources as evidenced by cash and/or in-kind contributions.

• Rural policy learning commons: Building Rural Policy Through International Comparative Analysis, $2,500,000, led by Dr. William Reimer, University of Brandon. Memorial co-investigators: Dr. Barbara Neis, Department of Sociology; Dr. Ivan Emke, Department of Anthropology/Sociology; Dr. Kelly Vodden, Department of Geography, Grenfell Campus;  Dr. Robert Greenwood, Harris Centre

• OceanCanada, $2,500,645, led by principal investigator Dr. Rashid Sumalia, University of British Columbia. Memorial co-investigator:  Dr. Ratana Chuenpagdee, Department of Geography

 


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