UN SDG Archives | Faculty of Education

91��ɫ U scholar supports national study advancing Black health

acoward — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:35:30 +0000

_{Edited by Ashley Goodfellow Craig February 25, 2026}

Carl E. James, the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education, brings his expertise to a four-year Genome Canada research project focused on Canada’s Black population.

Genomic Evidence for Precision Medicine for Selected Chronic Diseases Among Black Peoples in Canada – developed through collaboration with the Centre for Applied Genomics, at SickKids Hospital and McGill Genome Centre – is an effort to sequence the genomes of 10,000 Black Canadians to ensure equitable health care for an often-understudied population.

By sequencing the nucleotides that make up the participants’ DNA and RNA, researchers will gain a better understanding of how diseases affect Canada’s Black population and develop better precision medicines to target their conditions.

_{Carl James}

“We need to encourage these approaches for research, since medical studies often miss the racial diversity of health care recipients,” says James, a renowned sociologist with a research focus on race and ethnic relations. “In fact, we need to understand differences in all populations.”

The study is led by four prominent medical researchers: Upton Allen, division head at SickKids Hospital’s Infectious Diseases and professor at the University of Toronto; Loydie Jerome-Majewska, McGill University Department of Pediatrics professor and co-founder/program lead for the Canadian Black Scientists’ Network (CSBN); Juliet Daniel, McMaster University cell biologist and cancer researcher; and OmiSoore Dryden, professor in the Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University.

Read the full article in the February 25, 2026 issue of Yfile

The post 91��ɫ U scholar supports national study advancing Black health appeared first on Faculty of Education.

91��ɫ researcher highlights power of Black matriarchal storytelling

acoward — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 14:45:50 +0000

Growing up in Scarborough, Stephanie Fearon was raised in a community with a rich tradition of Black matriarchal storytelling.

Through oration, folk tales, music, dance and even cooking, mothers have continued to impart cultural knowledge across generations.

_{Stephanie Fearon}

It’s no surprise then, that as the inaugural assistant professor of Black thriving and education at 91��ɫ, Fearon wanted to explore the ways Black mothers come together with their children to cultivate leadership and literacy skills within education systems and beyond.

Inspired by her grandmother and grandaunts, who came to Canada from Jamaica in the 1960s with limited access to educational opportunities, Fearon’s research studies how Black mothers use storytelling in community-based literacy programs. 

With an understanding of the barriers these women face in academic research spaces, Fearon was careful to develop a collaborative approach where Black mothers feel valued.

“They’ve complained, lamented, about the extractive nature of the research process,” she says. “And when we look at the histories and the current relationships between researchers in academia and Black communities, it's not positive.”

Fearon centres Black mothers as partners in the research process, grounding her work in respect and co-creation. To honour the cultural significance of storytelling, she uses an arts-informed approach that allows her to reimagine educational research as collaborative and cultural.

Read the full article in the February 6, 2026 issue of Yfile

The post 91��ɫ researcher highlights power of Black matriarchal storytelling appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Revitalized alumni network leads to new mentorship program

acoward — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 17:56:34 +0000

A program that would have been unthinkable five years ago is strengthening guidance and connections for students pursuing a career in teaching.

The Faculty of Education’s Alumni Network has launched a pilot mentorship program that pairs alumni with 91��ɫ BEd students to provide career insights and build professional relationships.

“We relaunched the network after the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, and we are rebuilding,” says Jason Singh, a 2011 91��ɫ graduate and director of education for Medix College’s health care programs, who serves as Chair of the group. “Post-COVID, people want to connect and our objective is to engage them and connect them back to the Faculty and 91��ɫ.”

Read the full story in the December 17, 2025 issue of Yfile

The post Revitalized alumni network leads to new mentorship program appeared first on Faculty of Education.

91��ɫ U educator wins national award for advancing equity in teaching

acoward — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:31:06 +0000

There aren’t a lot of awards for people in public education.

So, when 91��ɫ’s Emily Burgis, who has spent most of her career in public education with the 91��ɫ Region District School Board as a teacher, guidance counsellor and curriculum consultant, learned she won an award from the Canadian Society for Education through Art (CSEA), she was thrilled.

Emily Burgis

“Teachers don’t often get awards, they usually only see rewards by seeing the impact they have on students,” she says. “To be recognized by an organization outside the system – it’s a real honour.”

Burgis is a visiting professor in the Faculty of Education at 91��ɫ’s Markham and Keele campuses where she applies her knowledge and experience as a teacher, with a focus on education that is grounded in equity and inclusion.

Read the full article in the November 5, 2025 issue of Yfile.

The post 91��ɫ U educator wins national award for advancing equity in teaching appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Minister’s Award of Excellence honours 91��ɫ U Innovators

acoward — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 16:40:55 +0000

Two 91��ɫ community members – Professor Satinder Kaur Brar and Faculty of Education PhD candidate Anna Pearson – have been recognized with a 2024 Minister’s Award of Excellence from Ontario’s Ministry of Colleges and Universities.

The annual awards celebrate the work of faculty and staff at publicly assisted colleges and universities who are making a difference in students’ lives, in their communities and in the province. This year, there were more than 170 nominations and only six recipients selected, including professors, researchers and post-secondary leaders.

Brar, a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at 91��ɫ’s , received the award in the category of Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The category recognizes faculty and staff who work with industry and business to drive economic development in Ontario.

A globally recognized leader in green technologies for removing contaminants from drinking water and wastewater, Brar was recognized for her pioneering research in enzyme-based environmental remediation. Working in collaboration with researchers at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique and engineering consulting firm TechnoRem Inc., Brar helped develop and implement a faster, more sustainable method for cleaning petroleum-contaminated sites using enzymes rather than traditional microorganisms. The method, which is 100 times faster and achieves an 80 per cent reduction in contaminants without toxic residues, is especially effective in cold northern climates where other microorganisms are less viable.

_{Satinder Kaur Brar and Anna Pearson at the June 25 ceremony where they received their Minister's Awards of Excellence.}

The approach has been supported by the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan and is already in use at several polluted sites across Canada, addressing surface water, groundwater and soil contamination. “Once it [the method for cleaning sites] gets into the field, that is where the real magic starts,” says Brar, noting how rewarding it is for her team to see their lab work result in real-world environmental improvements.

She describs receiving the award as a “fantastic surprise” and emphasizes the recognition is a shared achievement with her research team. “It’s a great boost for them to understand that whatever we do in the lab does see light of the day at some point,” she says.

Brar also highlights the importance of collaboration with stakeholders and industry. “This kind of recognition reinforces the belief that we can transition from lab to field,” she says, “and when we see the results in the field, it can have fantastic repercussions.”

Pearson, a PhD candidate at 91��ɫ, received the award in the category of Future-Proofing Ontario’s Students. The category highlights individuals whose work helps students build the skills and resilience needed for success in a rapidly evolving world.

Pearson, who has taught in both elementary and secondary settings across Ontario for nearly two decades, was recognized for her contributions to program design, policy leadership and community-based learning initiatives aimed at preparing teacher candidates to meet the demands of a changing educational landscape.

Reflecting on the award, she credits those who shaped her own academic path. “It means I've had some wonderful teachers in my life,” she says. “And it also means that now I'm giving my students the same kind of mentorship that I received.”

She also sees the recognition as an opportunity for thoughtful evaluation. “It means that I have an opportunity to see what's working and what's not,” she says. “And that's the hard part.”

Brar and Pearson’s achievements exemplify 91��ɫ’s commitment to excellence in teaching, innovation and societal impact.

The post Minister’s Award of Excellence honours 91��ɫ U Innovators appeared first on Faculty of Education.

91��ɫ U professors receive support to advance DEDI

acoward — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 13:51:06 +0000

Eight professors from across Faculties and campuses have received reductions in their course load from the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Service Course Load Reduction Program to further 91��ɫ’s commitment to fostering an inclusive academic environment that values the contributions of diverse voices.

Created as part of the 91��ɫ Faculty Association Collective Agreement, this initiative provides an annual fund of $100,000 to support service related to EDI by faculty members who self-identify as Indigenous and/or members of racialized groups. By reducing recipients’ course loads, the programs provide them with additional time to advance or implement aspects of 91��ɫ’s Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (DEDI) Strategy. This includes the , Addressing Anti-Black Racism: A Framework on Black Inclusion, as well as other EDI initiatives specific to Faculties, schools and departments.

During the 2024-25 academic year, the program will support the following recipients who will further develop critical, EDI-focused work to have broader impacts across the University.

_{From left to right: Sylvia Bawa, Lisa Davidson, Ashley Day, Mehraneh Ebrahimi, John Hupfield, Radhika Mongia, Tiana Reid.}

Sylvia Bawa, associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Having recently completed a three-year term as director of the Resource Centre for Public Sociology at 91��ɫ, Bawa will organize and facilitate public conversations on topics of human rights, decolonization and Afrofuturism. She will also be mentoring women in academia who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour, as well as undergraduate students interested in research through a project on Afrofuturism.

Lisa Davidson, assistant professor, Teaching Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Davidson will focus on developing curricula to address systemic racism, discriminatory biases and classroom inequities. She plans to design micro-credential frameworks in ethnographic research and archeology workshops that include the perspectives of equity-deserving populations. Additionally, she will enhance inclusive experiential education learning opportunities by leading the creation of an open-access digital storytelling database, highlighting the connections among racialized groups across Canada.

Ashley Day, assistant professor, School of Kinesiology, Faculty of Health

Chair of the Decolonizing, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (DEDI) Committee in the School of Kinesiology & Health Science, Day will advance DEDI priorities and conduct related research workshops, engaging with the 91��ɫ DEDI Toolkit and incorporating DEDI principles into pedagogy. In the process, she will continue emphasizing the importance of relationship building among students, staff and faculty members.

Mehraneh Ebrahimi, assistant professor, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

As a senator and vice-chair of the Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Faculty Council, Ebrahimi brings the voices of minoritized communities to collegial governance. With the course load reduction, she will build on her efforts to support women of colour through mentorship and community building initiatives at 91��ɫ. As an executive member of the 91��ɫ Centre for Asian Studies, she aims to establish a hub for Iranian and Middle Eastern scholars and students.

John Hupfield, assistant professor, Faculty of Education

Hupfield will establish a dedicated committee within the Indigenous Council to advocate for and develop Indigenous educational spaces on campus. Collaborating with multiple Indigenous stakeholders, he will investigate the potential for land- and place-based learning on campus. This initiative directly responds to the need for culturally relevant gathering spaces where Indigenous students, faculty and staff can teach, learn and connect.

Radhika Mongia, associate professor, Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Using a DEDI focus, Mongia will conduct a comprehensive review and revision of the hiring procedures and Affirmative Action Plan of the Department of Sociology. The goal is to align the department’s practices and procedures with 91��ɫ’s EDI strategy, the Indigenous Framework for 91��ɫ, and the Framework to Address Anti-Black Racism to improve faculty recruitment and retention in the department, which could potentially serve as a benchmark for other units.

Tiana Reid, assistant professor, Department of English, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies

Reid will establish a Black Writers’ Group at 91��ɫ, an interdisciplinary writing group open to Black scholars at any stage. The collective will serve as a platform for co-working, connection, manuscript support and peer feedback. The initiative aims to address the gap in resources for Black scholars who are preparing their work for publication and looking for intellectual community. The group also seeks to foster mutuality with faculty members dealing with racialized burdens and anti-Blackness in the academy.

Shirin Shahrokni, associate professor, Department of Sociology, Glendon College

As an active member of the Race Equity Caucus and co-founder of the Caucus d’ Equite Raciale/Race Equity Caucus of Glendon, Shahrokni will build a cross-disciplinary, bilingual bibliography. This resource will compile the works of scholars and activists who advocate decolonial and anti-racist feminist views, addressing the challenge of finding teaching and research sources with critical perspectives. Additionally, she will organize a symposium highlighting the distinct barriers faced by students at the intersection of race, class and migration status.

Article originally published in the September 3, 2024 issue of Yfile

The post 91��ɫ U professors receive support to advance DEDI appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Doctoral graduate wins two national awards

mmvs — Thu, 18 Jul 2024 18:32:18 +0000

Isaac Garcia-Sitton, a recent PhD graduate from the Faculty of Education, has been honoured with two prestigious national awards for his doctoral dissertation in the field of international higher education.

Garcia-Sitton received the Michel Laferrière Research Award by the Comparative & International Education Society of Canada and the George Geiss Award by the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education for his dissertation titled “Policy Making in Times of Crisis: The Case of Immigration and International Students in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic.”

^{Isaac Garcia-Sitton}

Informed through analysis of policy documents and interviews with policy actors, the study examines how immigration policy measures introduced in Canada during the pandemic affected international student recruitment and retention in the nation’s post-secondary education institutions.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled to receive these awards from national academic societies that have significantly contributed to the fields of higher education and international education,” says Garcia-Sitton, who has over 20 years of experience in international relations and business development as a former diplomat and within the higher education sector. He currently serves as the inaugural executive director of international student enrolment, education and inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Professor Roopa Desai Trilokekar, Garcia-Sitton’s dissertation supervisor whom he credits for her guidance on his work, commended his achievement, noting: “Isaac’s work and its recognition through two national awards is a reflection of the fruits of humility, hard work and dedication.”

Exploring the various immigration policy measures introduced in Canada from March 2020 to December 2022 to ensure the continued recruitment and retention of international students, Garcia-Sitton’s dissertation highlights how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for policy change, leading to significant adaptations in travel regulations, study provisions, work-related measures and pathways to permanent residency.

The research illustrates, too, the interplay between federal and provincial jurisdictions and how lack of co-ordination can further complicate policy making in uncertain conditions. By identifying and investigating the role of institutional constraints and the alignment of policy actors in decision-making processes, the dissertation provides insights that can inform high-impact and rapid-response policy changes to support the international education sector in Canada.

Garcia-Sitton’s research identifies key factors that facilitated policy changes during the pandemic and highlights the significance of policy entrepreneurs, clear communication and the widespread collaboration in shaping effective policy responses. In addition, by identifying the interconnectedness between global geopolitical shifts and internal policy decisions, the study illustrates how external factors can shape a country’s attractiveness in the international education arena, and advocates for a more comprehensive and holistic approach in policy analysis.

The forward-looking nature of Garcia-Sitton’s disseration are something both awards singled out.

“Isaac’s dissertation presents a compelling case for the significance of analyzing policy changes during times of crisis,” noted the 2024 committee for the Michel Laferrière Research Award, which recognizes outstanding research in the field of comparative and international education. The committee for the George Geiss Award, which has the same goal as the Michel Laferrière Award, echoed that, noting that Garcia-Sitton’s work provides “a valuable case study to guide future analyses and practices.”

“As an immigrant and a scholar-practitioner, this recognition underscores the importance of my journey and the impact of dedicated research on shaping inclusive and supportive policies for international students,” says Garcia-Sitton.

Article originally published in the July 17, 2024 issue of

The post Doctoral graduate wins two national awards appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Building pathways to education: a Q-and-A with Professor Carl James

mmvs — Thu, 25 Jan 2024 14:47:01 +0000

Studies have shown that Black students are significantly under-represented on Canadian post-secondary campuses, due in large part to systemic barriers. The Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, now fully endowed and housed within 91��ɫ’s Faculty of Education, aims to address this disparity and others by advancing access, equity, and inclusivity to education through community engagement and collaborative action.

^{Carl James}

Distinguished Research Professor Carl James, who has held the position of Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora since 2016, met with YFile to discuss the Chair, his role within it and what the recent $1.5 million in federal funding means for its future.

Q: For those who are unfamiliar, can you describe the mandate of the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora?

A: We work with community to enable and support students from racialized and marginalized groups through education; not only through elementary, middle and high school, but through university and college as well.

Q: What is your focus in your role as Chair?

A: I’m very interested in programming because it is a useful reference for knowing about the experiences and concerns of Black community members and students. In this way, we get to know about the research questions we might want to explore. There’s a tendency to separate research from program, but I think Jean Augustine expects the Chair to combine research with programs. It is simply not research for research’s sake. Instead, once you do the research, we should act on it.

I particularly like the participatory action research we do, where we set up a program and then, as the program proceeds, we research the program – is it working, is it not working, and why? And as we conduct the research, we might put into place some adjustments to the program if it’s not heading towards the expected outcome. Hence, when we’re promoting the idea that a particular program works, we will be able to say the program works because we have done the necessary research and have some documented evidence. We use the participants as researchers, as well, collaborating with them about the information we’re trying to gather.

Q: Can you explain what it means that the Chair is now fully funded?

A: The federal government’s recent $1.5-million contribution towards the endowment means that the Chair is well positioned to continue with its activities. It also means that we now have endowment funds to create some of the programs we’ve been wanting to.

Q: What is the Day at 91��ɫ program?

A: The Day at 91��ɫ program, which has hosted over 450 students from Ontario (and some from Halifax, Nova Scotia) in the past year and a half, provides Black students enrolled in Grades 7 to 12 with an opportunity to imagine themselves at a post-secondary institution.

We can tell students to go to university, but it’s difficult to imagine if you don’t have something to stimulate or inform that imagination. This program helps insofar as students are able to attend lectures, workshops, campus tours, and networking sessions with students, alumni and Black faculty members.

When students think of, where should I go to university, sometimes familiarity with an institution might help them to choose a particular university or program. It provides many opportunities that students would not have otherwise had.

Q: What are your proudest accomplishments in this role so far?

A: One of the things I’m particularly pleased with is the Jean Augustine Chair (JAC) Student Network, which involves Black undergraduate and graduate students and recent graduates. The group contributes to the work of the Chair by sharing their experiences navigating university and working to be successful in their respective educational programs. Members act as hosts and mentors to high-school students who come on campus; and they do not only help to inform and contribute to the Chair’s research agenda, they also participate in the research as respondents, research assistants and collaborators. Ultimately, the network provides members with opportunities for personal, educational, team building and work-related skill development in an affirming and supportive post-secondary educational environment.

Also, we have the Jean Augustine Chair’s annual Black History Month event that happens every year in partnership with the School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design’s music program. Called , it is a showcase of talent, creativity and cultural pride. It is taking place this year on Feb. 7. It is held in recognition of one of Jean Augustine’s legacies – that is, the crucial role she played in establishing Black History Month in Canada. Therefore, it seems logical to hold an event at 91��ɫ through the Chair.

Q: What are some other projects you’re working on as part of the Chair?

A: We’re currently conducting research on social capital, a significantly new area to explore. We’re looking at how individuals employ their social capital – that is, their cultural assets, interests, aspirations, education and consciousness of what is possible – to take advantage of opportunities by which they might access training and employment to realize their social, economic, career and other ambitions. In partnership with the Coalition of Innovation Leaders Against Racism and 91��ɫ’s School of Continuing Studies, we will investigate the lived experiences and needs of racialized Canadians, using the three years of the project to collect data that will help to inform educational and employment program initiatives.

As well, we recently received program funding from the RBC Foundation to put in place Securing Black Futures, a national partnership by which we might collectively work to build pathways for Black youth to pursue their educational goals and attain academic and career success. Led by us at 91��ɫ and working in partnership with colleagues from six universities across the country, the program activities will serve to inform us about relevant and appropriate educational and social interventions and supports for Black youth. We will also get to know how we might best mentor, enable, support and educate Black students in their pursuit of post-secondary education, as well as particular educational and career pathways – particularly STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Q: Looking toward the future, how do you hope the now fully endowed Jean Augustine Chair will impact the lives of Black and marginalized youth in Canada?

A: I think that a fully endowed Chair is nicely positioned to continue with its current local, regional and national initiatives. These include: supporting students in constructing their aspirations, in their decision processes as they journey towards their future selves; facilitating the voices of Black Canadians as they tell of their experiences through the research we will conduct, report and publish; helping to build university-community partnerships through which we might help to address structural and institutional barriers to full inclusion and equity of Black and other racialized people within Canadian society; and making substantial research contributions about Black life in Canada, taking into account education, employment, health and housing needs.

Q: How important is the 91��ɫ community to the success of the Chair?

A: We cannot underestimate the support that 91��ɫ has given the Chair, both financial and otherwise. Neither can we underestimate the contributions of the Faculty of Education, faculty members from across the University, our community advisory committee, and our partners at 91��ɫ centres such as the Harriet Tubman Institute and the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean. It’s this whole network of people that enables the work of the Chair.

Article originally posted in the January 24, 2024 issue of .

The post Building pathways to education: a Q-and-A with Professor Carl James appeared first on Faculty of Education.

QS ImpACT Awards select 91��ɫ members as judges

mmvs — Wed, 10 Jan 2024 15:19:15 +0000

91��ɫ Charles Hopkins and Adjunct Professor Mark Terry will represent the University by joining the international team of judges evaluating applications for the annual QS ImpACT Awards, which honour the sustainability efforts of young changemakers from across the globe.

_{Mark Terry}

_{Charles Hopkins}

The QS ImpACT Awards notably highlight the outstanding contributions of individuals who have served as catalysts for transformative change on a local and global scale through projects, events and initiatives in local communities or institutions that explored solutions to the sustainability challenges of today.

“It is crucial to recognize the engagement of young people with the SDGs [United Nations Sustainable Development Goals] with this award ceremony, as it does not only recognize individual achievement but creates a global community of changemakers for sustainability,” says Hopkins.

Youth activism is also critical for sustainable development because it “can lead to lasting societal change,” adds Terry.

The 91��ɫ members’ selection as judges is not only an acknowledgement of their own impact on global sustainability efforts but a recognition that 91��ɫ is continuing to strengthen its momentum as a global leader in sustainability, which has included participation and appearances in rankings organized by QS, a leading international company in the education sector and a partner of QS ImpACT.

The award ceremony will be held online on Jan. 18. Register to attend: .

Article published in the January 9, 2024 issue of

The post QS ImpACT Awards select 91��ɫ members as judges appeared first on Faculty of Education.

91��ɫ funds $4.05M to support interdisciplinary research for the UN SDGs

acoward — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:03:56 +0000

The research projects advance knowledge in areas ranging from water remediation, management of infectious disease through technological innovation, the effects of climate change on ecosystems and human populations, visual neuroscience, and understanding the pathway from colonial genocide to building just relationships.

91��ɫ will fund ground-breaking research through the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program, which aims to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, global research excellence and world-class training opportunities. Now in its second year, the program supports critical research that can advance 91��ɫ’s contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

“As the world continues to address urgent global challenges such as climate change, global health crises and political polarization, and their impact on people and the planet, it is critical now more than ever for 91��ɫ to support novel interdisciplinary research collaborations that drive innovative solutions to these grand challenges,” says 91��ɫ President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda Lenton. “91��ɫ is home to some of the brightest researchers in the world, and I am inspired by the talent, drive, and commitment of our researchers to making the world a better place. I offer you my congratulations in these exemplary research endeavours.”

“91��ɫ is pleased to invest in interdisciplinary research clusters that will continue to amplify 91��ɫ’s world class research excellence,” says Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) Amir Asif. “The CIRC program brings together talented researchers from across disciplines and faculties, supporting research that will help address complex global issues identified in the UN SDGs, and driving positive change in our local and global communities.”

Seven projects will receive $150,000 per year over three years:

Designing Sound Futures: Inclusive Design and Transdisciplinary STEAM Learning, led by Kurt Thumlert, Faculty of Education with Co-PI Andreas Kitzmann (LA&PS)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Cluster for Detection and Remediation of Water Contaminants (CIRC-DRWC), led by Satinder Brar, Lassonde School of Engineering, with co-Principal Investigators (PIs) Pouya Rezai, Lassonde School of Engineering, James Orbinski, Faculty of Health, Sylvie Morin, Faculty of Science, and Ali Asgary, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS)
UN SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation

Catalyzing Collective Action at the Intersection of Global Health and the Arts, led by Caitlin Fisher, School of the Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) with co-PI Steven Hoffman Faculty of Health, and Sharon Hayashi (AMPD)
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

From Colonial Genocide to Just Relationships, led by Luann Good Gingrich (LA&PS) with co-PI Heidi Matthews, Osgoode Hall Law School
UN SDG 16: Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions

Technologies for Identification and Control of Infectious Diseases (TICID), led by Sergey Krylov, Faculty of Science
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Geomatics for Analyzing Climate Change Effects on Ecosystems and Human Populations, led by Tarmo Remmel, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC)
UN SDG 13: Climate Action

Translating Brain Signals Across Scales, Species, Sex and Lifespan, led by Jeff Schall, Faculty of Science with co-PI Shayna Rosenbaum, Faculty of Health
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

In addition, six other proposals that were highly ranked by external reviewers will each be awarded two-year funding of $100,000 per year for two years for a total of $200,000 each. These proposals include:

Biomedical Engineering Cluster (BEC), led by Alex Czekanski, Lassonde School of Engineering with co-PI Peter Backx, Faculty of Science
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Towards Inclusive and Accessible Data Visualizations and Analytics, led by Enamul Prince (LA&PS)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

Overcoming Epidemics: Transnational Black Communities’ Response, Recovery and Resilience, led by Mohamed Sesay (LA&PS) with co-PIs Sylvia Bawa (LA&PS) and Oghenowede Eyawo, Faculty of Health
UN SDG 3: Good Health & Well-Being

Research Cluster on Data Economy, aligned with UN SDG: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure, led by Xiaohui Yu (LA&PS) with co-PIs Giuseppina D’Agostino, Osgoode Hall Law School, and Jennifer Pybus (LA&PS)
UN SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure

*Social and Business Implications of Introducing Micro-mobility Vehicles (at 91��ɫ) Implications for Disruptive Technologies and Experiential Education, led by Andrew Maxwell, Lassonde School of Engineering with co-PIs Marina Freire-Gormaly, Lassonde School of Engineering, Pilar F Carbonell (LA&PS), Manos Papangelis, Lassonde School of Engineering and Jose Etcheverry, (EUC)
UN SDG 10: Reduced Inequality

*Towards Sustainable Extraction in the North, aligned with UN SDG: Responsible Consumption and Production, led by Laura McKinnon, Glendon College with co-PIs Kamelia Atefi-Monfared, Lassonde School of Engineering, Gabrielle Slowey (LA&PS), Zachary Spicer, (LA&PS)
UN SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

*Conditionally approved, subject to additional review.

“We would like to acknowledge the members of the internal Adjudication Committee: Professors Rosemary Coombe, David Hood, Jane Heffernan and Dan Zhang, who have helped the Office of the VPRI support research excellence in ways that are equitable, diverse and inclusive,” adds Asif.

More about the Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters Program

The Catalyzing Interdisciplinary Research Clusters (CIRC) program funds research excellence for interdisciplinary projects, crossing the mandates of at least two of the three federal granting councils, with the core team of at least five researchers for each project including members from at least two faculties and at least one early career researcher.

Modelled to replicate the success of interdisciplinary research clusters, the initiative empowers clusters to achieve research excellence and secure large-scale funding through highly competitive national programs, such as the Canada Excellence Research Chair, the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the New Frontiers in Research Fund – Transformation stream. The CIRC program will scale the development of research teams and clusters to position the University as a key node in national and international networks in strategic areas of interest, while enabling impactful contributions towards the University’s Strategic Research Plan, the University Academic Plan and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

All proposals received were subjected to expert external peer review, with final decisions informed by an internal adjudication committee comprised of senior 91��ɫ researchers with additional representatives from the Office of the VPRI.

Article originally published in the January 6, 2023 issue of

The post 91��ɫ funds $4.05M to support interdisciplinary research for the UN SDGs appeared first on Faculty of Education.