Researchers at York University have earned funding to lead diverse knowledge mobilization initiatives that aim to bring people together and drive social change.
Five York-led projects, funded with a Connection Grant from the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), will collectively explore community transformation through diverse frameworks of migration, economic alternatives, disability justice, queer history preservation and youth environmental engagement. These projects aim to spark interdisciplinary collaboration and foster meaningful social impact.
Connection Grants support events, workshops and outreach activities that often lay the groundwork for longer-term research projects and enable scholarly exchanges by building bridges between academic and non-academic partners, as well as collaboration between the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.
"These grants exemplify York’s commitment to research that bridges disciplines and addresses some of society’s most pressing challenges," says Amir Asif, vice-president, research and innovation. "These collaborative initiatives represent the essence of knowledge mobilization, bringing research into communities to drive meaningful social change.”
The projects, announced this month, are part of the November 2024 competition. Grants support events and outreach activities valued between $7,000 and $50,000 and are provided over one year.
Funding will support the following York researcher's projects:
Migration, Integration, and Citizenship in Canadian Smaller Cities Project, led by Willem Maas (professor, York University, Glendon College) with Melissa Kelly (Toronto Metropolitan University) and collaborator Kathryn Barber (post-doctoral researcher, York University, Glendon College). This one-year project received $10,875 to examine migration patterns, integration processes and citizenship issues in smaller Canadian urban centres, moving beyond the typical focus on major metropolitan areas.
La Grande transition: Raviver les solidarités postcapitalistes is led by Audrey Laurin-Lamothe (professor, York University, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) with 11 co-applicants and eight collaborators from various Canadian universities. This international colloquium secured $24,770 for a one-year initiative exploring post-capitalist solidarities and transition frameworks, bringing together a large collaborative network of scholars.
Women with Disabilities, Gender, and Violence: Issues and Strategies Across the Caribbean is led by Ruth Rodney (professor, York University, Faculty of Health) and Kendra Ann Pitt (University of the West Indies) with collaborators from disability rights organizations. The project received $49,795 to address the intersection of gender-based violence and disability in Caribbean contexts.
Visualizing Queer Femme Narrative Histories of Toronto Using Digital Mapping is led by Andrea Schwartz (York University, coordinator of the Centre for Feminist Research) and co-applicant Chloe Brushwood Rose (York University, professor in the Faculty of Education and vice-provost, teaching and learning), along with collaborators from the ArQuives and the University of Winnipeg. This $20,925 one-year digital humanities project will use mapping technologies to document and visualize Toronto's queer femme histories in collaboration with The ArQuives.
Conference for Youth and Planetary Wellbeing is led by Kate Tilleczek (professor and Canada Research Chair, York University, Faculty of Education) and co-applicant Felipe Montoya (professor, York University, Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change), along with an international team of collaborators. This $49,985 grant supports a one-year initiative to organize a conference focused on youth engagement with environmental and planetary health issues.
These projects reflect York University’s ongoing dedication to research with real-world impact, fostering community engagement and social innovation across diverse fields, says Asif. Collectively, they advance progress toward several of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 5: Gender Equality, SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities and SDG 13: Climate Action.