Newswise — University of Saskatchewan researchers can develop policies for urban Aboriginal housing initiatives, create better training programs for teachers, and help forestry-dependent communities adapt to the challenges of climate change thanks to more than $792,000 in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).
"Because of this funding, our leading researchers and student scholars can have a real impact on many of society's pressing issues," said Karen Chad, U of S Acting Vice-President of Research. "Our researchers will be able to make a difference by undertaking practical projects while enhancing classroom learning."
SSHRC also promised $700,000 for 20 U of S graduate student scholarships and $555,000 toward eight doctoral student awards.
The 10 successful U of S research projects and 26 scholarships were selected along with hundreds of other top research projects across Canada as part of a $202.2-million SSHRC funding announcement made today by federal Secretary of State James Moore.
"We can have all the robust technologies in the world, but we need the social sciences and humanities to know how to harness them and interpret them from a human perspective so that they translate into benefits for society," said Moore.
U of S research projects include:
"¢ Linda Wason-Ellam (education) will measure how children raised in media-saturated homes filled with television viewing and computer games respond to media messages about physical activity and nutrition.
"¢ Maureen Reed (geography) will complete a pilot project working with forestry-dependent communities to develop techniques that help them adapt to climate change. The study will compare efforts in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, and develop a methodology to continue this work in other model forests in Canada and Sweden.
"¢ Richard Schwier (education) will investigate how well people learn in online virtual communities. The goal is to find out how people build social networks and connect with each other when they are part of self-directed leaning programs.
"¢ Ryan Walker (geography) will consider the links between housing provided by urban Aboriginal organizations and outcomes in other areas such as education, health, culture, employment and urban quality of life. The results will contribute to developing policies and programs for Aboriginal housing and positive development in urban areas.
"¢ Angela Ward (education) will look at how university education faculties can build on existing partnerships with school divisions to transform teacher education programs.
Noted U of S historians Bill Waiser and Jim Miller were also successful in the SSHRC competition. Waiser is writing A World We Have Lost, a look at pre-1905 Saskatchewan from an environmental and Aboriginal perspective, while Miller is examining how churches and the federal government have attempted to make amends with residential school victims.
Graduate and doctoral students will also be able to launch new studies because of the SSHRC funding. For instance, Merle Massie (history) is using her scholarship to examine the history of Métis and First Nations people who lived in Saskatchewan's transitional region between prairie and boreal forest. Being raised in the region, she brings an intimate understanding of the land and its peoples to her study.
A full list of successful U of S projects is available at http://www.usask.ca/research/news/read.php?id=815&newsid=1.
About SSHRC: SSHRC is an independent federal government agency that funds university-based research and graduate training through national peer-review competitions. SSHRC also partners with public and private sector organizations to focus research and aid the development of better policies and practices in key areas of Canada's social, cultural and economic life.
About the U of S: Located in the heart of Saskatoon, the U of S is one of the leading medical doctoral universities in Canada. With 58 degrees, diplomas and certificates in over 100 areas of study, the University is uniquely positioned in the areas of human, animal and plant studies. World-class research facilities, renowned faculty and award-winning students make the U of S a leader in post-secondary education.
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Background
Standard Research Grants
Scott Bell (geography): $86,726 to assess how drawing aptitude and spatial reasoning affects people's ability to recall geographic information and sketch maps.
Hilary Clark (English): $35,787 to examine case studies on child psychoanalysis in Britain. Clark will focus on conflicts in interpretation and the ethical implications of seeking to know children's minds.
Kent Kowalski (kinesiology): $105,179 to better understand how young women athletes experience self-conscious emotions. The study will explore if encouraging athletes to show compassion for themselves can enhance their participation in sports.
Jim Miller (history): $69,000 to examine how churches and the federal government have attempted to make amends with residential school victims. Miller will analyze apologies made during the '80s and '90s, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and lawsuits from 1997 to 2006.
Richard Schwier (education): $98,900 to understand how well people learn in online virtual communities. The goal is to find out how people build social networks and connect with each other when they are part of self-directed leaning programs.
Bill Waiser (history): $63,000 to write A World We Have Lost, a look at pre-1905 Saskatchewan from an environmental and Aboriginal perspective. The book is intended as a prequel volume to Saskatchewan: A New History, his award-winning centennial history of the province.
Ryan Walker (geography): $100,903 to examine the links between housing provided by urban Aboriginal organizations and outcomes in other areas such as education, health, culture, employment and urban quality of life more broadly. The results will contribute to developing policies and programs for Aboriginal housing and positive development in urban areas.
Angela Ward (education): $137,000 to look at how university education faculties can build on existing partnerships with school divisions to transform teacher education programs.
Linda Wason-Ellam (education): $96,000 to measure how children raised in media-saturated homes filled with television viewing and computer games respond to media messages about physical activity and nutrition.
Management, Business and Finance Grants
Maureen Reed (geography): $40,000 to complete a pilot project working with forestry-dependent communities to develop techniques that help them adapt to climate change. The study will compare efforts in La Ronge, Saskatchewan, and develop a methodology to continue this work in other model forests in Canada and Sweden.
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