Focus on humanities and social sciences

Focus on humanities and social sciences

Queen鈥檚 University researchers receive more than $3 million in funding to advance understanding of people and societies.

By Anne Craig

June 15, 2018

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A total of 24 Queen鈥檚 University researchers are recipients of more than $3 million in combined funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The Insight and Partnership Grants programs are designed to support their work in a range of disciplines that build knowledge and understanding about people, societies, and the world.

Successful Primary Applicants
Insight and Partnership Grants

Gauvin Bailey (Art History) - $97,035
Julian Barling (Business) - $209,046
Robert Clark (Economics) - $88,050
Jeffrey Collins (History) - $64,087
Patricia Collins (Geography and Planning) - $236,327
Rosanne Currarino (History) - $60,246
Tina Dacin (Business) - $198,625
Stanka Fitneva (Psychology) - $66,891
David Gordon (Geography and Planning) - $92,649
David Haglund (Political Studies) - $27,918
Tom Hollenstein (Psychology) - $179,706
Olena Ivus (Business) - $75,593
Li-Jun Ji (Psychology) - $172,150
Margaret Little (Political Studies/Gender Studies) - $200,159
W. George Lovell (Geography and Planning) - $65,310
Tara MacDonald (Psychology) - $95,800
Scott MacKenzie (Film and Media) - $197,978
Bertrand Malsch (Business) - $151,375
John McGarry (Political Studies) - $115,401
Sam McKegney (English Literature) - $305,060
Anton Ovhinnikov (Business) - $81,504
Jordan Poppenk (Psychology) - $84,537
Ana Siljak (History) - $65,648
Nancy van Deusen (History) - $110,656

The funding for Queen鈥檚 is part of $158 million invested in more than 800 research projects across Canada recently announced by Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities. Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands, Mark Gerretsen, is helping highlight the portion awarded to Queen鈥檚 researchers.  

鈥淪ocial sciences and humanities research contributes to the well-being of all Canadians. It helps us better understand the world we live in, and how we can strengthen our social institutions. I am very proud that the federal government has invested in so many worthy projects undertaken by Queen鈥檚 researchers,鈥 says Mark Gerretsen, Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands.

Highlights of the funding include Sam McKegney鈥檚 research into Indigenous peoples鈥 relationships with hockey in Canada and Li-Jun Ji鈥檚 work exploring the relationship between culture, adversity and resilience.

鈥淗ockey is a vehicle through which non-Indigenous Canadians manufacture senses of belonging in the Northern landscape. Yet hockey is experienced by Indigenous players, coaches, and fans in ways that exceed the confines of the Canadian nation state and are expressive of Indigenous sovereignty,鈥 says Dr. McKegney (English Literature) who received a $305,060 Insight Grant. 鈥淭he research team, made up predominantly of Indigenous scholars, is grateful to SSHRC for funding that will allow us to collaborate with Indigenous individuals and communities throughout Turtle Island who are invested in decolonizing the game.鈥

Dr. Ji (Psychology) received a $172,150 Insight Grant to investigate how people from different cultures confront and cope with adversity and how they derive meaning from negative life experiences.

鈥淧roviding graduate students with good-quality training in cross-cultural research can be costly, as it naturally involves traveling, translating materials, meeting with collaborators and research participants from other cultures. The support of SSHRC makes all of this possible,鈥 says Dr. Ji. 鈥淚 have been continuously supported by SSHRC grants and without that support I wouldn鈥檛 be able to be as productive in my research and wouldn鈥檛 have been able to produce a group of excellent PhD students who have benefitted from my SSHRC grants and begun their own career successfully.鈥

In addition to the funding garnered for primary applicants from Queen鈥檚, importantly, a number of Queen鈥檚 researchers will also act as co-applicants and collaborators on SSHRC Insight and Partnership grants held at other institutions. For example, Dylan Robinson (Language, Literatures and Cultures) and Karine Bertrand and Susan Lord (Film and Media) are co-applicants on a Partnership grant of $2.5 million out of York University, which will examine new theoretical questions, and the methodological challenges, that attend the changing nature and political realities of visual media archives.

鈥淪SHRC funding provides the opportunity to develop our talent at Queen鈥檚 and connect those researchers with Canadian and international partners,鈥 says John Fisher, Interim Vice-Principal (Research). 鈥淭he projects focus on societal challenges and understanding human behaviour, and, ultimately, will provide better insight into the world around us.鈥

For more information visit the SSHRC .

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