Researchers at the University of British Columbia gained $7 million in federal research support for 79 social, economic and cultural research projects, earning them second place among Canadian universities this year for funding won in the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) annual grants competition.
A total of $81.3 million was granted to 969 research projects at 92 Canadian universities and colleges. Top spot went to the University of Toronto, which secured $7.9 million for 92 projects. McGill University ranked third with $6 million granted to support 63 projects.
“This strong federal support reinforces UBC’s ability to make a difference in people’s lives through exploring vital social, cultural and economic issues,” says John Hepburn, Vice-President, Research. “UBC ranks among the world’s top 40 universities because innovative scholars such as these continue to expand our research capacity.”
The UBC investigations funded by SSHRC include:
- Asst. Prof. Marc-David Seidel, UBC Sauder School of Business, received $79,950 to explore how social networks and friendship ties can shape hiring policies – a practice that impacts Canadian immigrants.
- With a grant of $101,640, human kinetics professor Patricia Vertinsky will look at the role of physical and health education in normalizing body weight and defining fatness.
- Economics Asst. Prof. Kevin Milligan has been awarded $58,309 to research revenue and spending patterns of people nearing retirement and investment choices of the elderly during health changes.
- UBC Okanagan psychology professor Michael Woodworth received $87,055 to study deception in computer-mediated environments such as online chat rooms.
- Assoc. Prof. Stephen Petrina, Faculty of Education, won $181,051 to research how children, adolescents, teens, adults and older adults learn to use new technologies for everyday activities.
UBC attracts leading-edge researchers from a broad spectrum of disciplines. This year’s research funding has climbed to $485.6 million, which supports more than 6,800 studies.
A complete listing of SSHRC grant recipients may be found at www.sshrc.ca.
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