The ,聽which is now located at 91亚色, moved last year from the University of Alberta's Faculty of Law and is partnered with Osgoode Hall Law School and the 91亚色 Centre for Public Policy & Law (YCPPL). It is one of the country's leading organizations devoted to interdisciplinary research on civil justice.

The study, "The Cost of Justice: Weighing the Costs of Fair and Effective Resolution to Legal Problems," will attempt to measure what聽the civil justice system costs, who it serves, whether it is meeting the needs of users and the price of failing to do so.聽The study聽is headed by Osgoode Hall Law School Professor Trevor Farrow (right), director of the Clinical Education Program at Osgoode and chair of the board of the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice.

"There is a significant lack of empirical research on these individual and societal cost questions generally," said Farrow. "There have been modest attempts internationally and some efforts in Canada, but we very much hope that this will be a groundbreaking study that will really further our collective thinking in this area."

Researchers will examine whether the cost of achieving resolution is economically and socially warranted by addressing the following questions:

• How can we better calculate, understand and balance the social value to democratic societies of ensuring an accessible, effective civil justice system against the financial costs of doing so, or the socio-economic costs of failing to provide access?
• What can be done to effectively prevent disputes, and at what costs and benefits?
• What methods are there for limiting or eliminating the need for legal services, through consumer protection, licensing, standard-setting and pro-active regulation, or other innovations identified by the research?
• What can be done to prevent recurring problems for low and middle income Canadians, most especially those who are the most vulnerable?

Osgoode Dean Lorne Sossin described the study as "an extremely ambitious research project that will lead to new knowledge about the costs of justice in Canada and which, in turn, will no doubt drive academic and policy-related thinking here at home and around the world."

Farrow is joined on the lead research team by co-investigators Diana Lowe, QC, of Alberta Justice and chair of the forum's research committee, Professor Lesley Jacobs聽of 91亚色's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, who was also the inaugural director of YCPPL, and Mary Stratton, who was formerly the forum's research director.

In addition, there are approximately 50 other co-investigators, collaborators and partners including academics, government departments, law commissions, law reform agencies, law societies, bar associations, judicial associations and other individuals and institutes from around the world.

Community-University Research Alliances (CURA) awards bring postsecondary institutions and community organizations together as equal research partners to jointly develop new knowledge and capabilities, provide research training opportunities and enhance the ability of social sciences and humanities research to build knowledge in areas that affect Canadians and their changing communities. Researchers interested in pursuing partnership research can now apply to SSHRC's Partnership Development Grants or Partnership Grants funding opportunities.

Further information is available on the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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The funding, to be delivered over five years, comes courtesy of the federal government's . According to the announcement of the award, Nicol will lead a 22-member team to "explore how LGBT and human rights groups resist criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity," especially in the developing world of the global south.

"Our work will combine documentary and participatory video with qualitative interviewing, focus groups, legal data research and analysis, and a limited use of surveys," Nicol says in a release. "We plan to make a unique contribution to documenting and analyzing criminalization, asylum and resistance to criminalization within and beyond regions."

The project also received coverage .

A complete overview of the project and its partners is available in the Research News archives. The project is based in the Centre for Feminist Research at 91亚色.

Posted by Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer, with files courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

The post Yonge Street covers Professor Nancy Nicol's SSHRC-funded global gender identity discrimination project appeared first on Research & Innovation.

91亚色 visual arts professor Nancy Nicol will lead a major international project on the impact of criminalizing sexual orientation and gender identity, with $1 million in funding over five years from the (SSHRC).

The award will fund Envisioning Global LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Human Rights, a collaborative project that will foster international research links between Canada and the global south.

Nicol, a professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts and faculty associate in 91亚色鈥檚 Centre for Feminist Research, will lead a 22-member research team as they explore how LGBT and human rights groups resist criminalization of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The researchers will also study the implications for human rights policy formation, social services, and immigration and refugee policies.

鈥�Envisioning will capture and contribute to history-in-the-making of distinct but linked struggles at a key moment of national and global change,鈥� says Nicol. 鈥淥ur strategic alliance of partners has proven capacity in international LGBT human rights work, with grass roots partners in Canada and the global south. Our work will combine documentary and participatory video with qualitative interviewing, focus groups, legal data research and analysis and a limited use of surveys. We plan to make a unique contribution to documenting and analyzing criminalization, asylum and resistance to criminalization within and beyond regions.鈥�

(CURA)聽awards, among the largest awarded by SSHRC, bring postsecondary institutions and community organizations together as equal research partners to jointly develop new knowledge and capabilities, provide research training opportunities, and enhance the ability of social sciences and humanities research to build knowledge in areas that affect Canadians and their changing communities.

鈥�91亚色 has developed a strong record in leading national and international collaborative research projects on key social issues,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president Research & Innovation. 鈥淭hrough its connections to the Faculty of Fine Arts, , the Center for Feminist Research, and the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies鈥� Department of Sexuality Studies, this project reflects the interdisciplinary strengths 91亚色 offers in human rights research and the success of our researchers鈥� collaborative focus with local and global partners.鈥�

Nicol鈥檚 research team includes 22 researchers and 32 partner organizations. The co-applicants include four 91亚色 Professors: , director of the Centre for Feminist Research; Jennifer Hyndman, associate director of the ; and .

Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science聽& Technology), announced the funding on March 25. Nicol鈥檚 project is one of nine large-scale research projects funded through SSHRC鈥檚 CURA program at a total cost of $8,993,254.

鈥淭hese grants highlight the excellence of our country鈥檚 talented researchers and recognize the importance of fostering collaboration to keep Canada at the leading-edge of research, development and innovation in the 21st century,鈥� said Chad Gaffield, president of SSHRC.

For a complete list of CURA awards, visit Web site.

Project Partners:

• Africans In Partnership Against AIDS (APAA)
• Alliance For South Asian AIDS Prevention (ASAAP)
• ARC International
• Black Coalition for AIDS Prevention (Black Cap)
• Center for Feminist Research, 91亚色
• Coalition of African Lesbians
• Egale Canada
• Forum for Empowerment of Women (FEW)
• Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK)
• Global Alliance for LGBT Education (GALE)
• Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival
• International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC)
• International Lesbian and Gay Law Association (ILGLAW)
• Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG)
• Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals of Botswana (LEGABIBO)
• Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies
• Naz Foundation (India) Trust
• Naz International Foundation in conjunction with Maan AIDS Foundation
• Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI)
• Ontario Research and Innovation Optical Network (ORION)
• Osgoode Hall Law School, 91亚色
• Pride Uganda Alliance International (PUAI)
• Rainbow Health Ontario
• Sangini (India) Trust
• Sexual Minorities Uganda
• Sexuality Studies Department, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, 91亚色
• Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD)
• The 519 Church St. Community Centre
• The Inner Circle
• United and Strong
• United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM)
• University of Witwatersrand

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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Defining green jobs raises further questions. What is a green job? Do we need new green jobs or greener jobs? Who will benefit in the transition towards a low-carbon economy? What strategies do we need to transition to greener workplaces?

The panel discussion will explore these challenging issues on Thursday, January 20, 2011 beginning at 3 pm in Room 100A of the Jackman Humanities Building, located at , Toronto, ON.

Participants include expert activists, academics and policy makers:

• John Cartwright, president, Toronto and 91亚色 Region Labour Council
• Tony Clarke, director, Polaris Institute of Canada
• Clare Demerse, associate director of the Climate Change Program, Pembina Institute
• Marjorie Griffin Cohen, professor, Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser University
• Sara Letourneau, director, Labour Climate Project, BlueGreen Alliance (US)
• , principal investigator, Work in a Warming World (W3) and professor, Department of Work and Labour Studies, 91亚色 University

Green/ing Jobs is organized by (W3). The $1-million project, funded by the , is addressing climate change's challenge to Canadian employment and work, and the ways in which the work world can contribute to the struggle to slow global warming. W3 is affiliated with the (IRIS).

By Sabreena Delhon, W3 project coordinator.

The post Work in a Warming World project to host discussion panel on green jobs January 20 appeared first on Research & Innovation.

If you pass a law to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities, how do you know whether it鈥檚 being enforced, let alone making a difference?

Marcia Rioux (right), director of the 91亚色 Institute for Health Research (YIHR) and professor in the Faculty of Health鈥檚 School of Health Policy & Management, is working internationally, particularly with countries with limited resources, to develop a unique and innovation solution for the reporting requirements set out in the United Nation鈥檚 .

The United Nations requires all governments that have ratified its Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 鈭� as Canada did on , 2010 鈭� to provide information on the measures they have taken to integrate persons with disabilities into their societies. But this reporting is often limited to cataloguing laws, policies, and programs that may have little impact on the day-to-day lives of the people they鈥檙e intended to help.

Disability Rights Promotion International (DRPI), a multi-year international collaborative project, is establishing a global monitoring system to address disability discrimination. The research project, based in YIHR, is led by Rioux and Bengt Lindqvist 鈭� a former Cabinet Minister in Sweden, former UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, and long-time activist on disability rights. The team includes a group of 91亚色 researchers and international colleagues who are creating a roadmap that will allow countries to evaluate their laws, policies and programs to comply with the United Nations鈥� standards.

鈥淐ollecting and reporting on evidence-based data forces governments to acknowledge that the challenges people with disabilities face are not just anecdotal,鈥� says Rioux. 鈥淥ur project allows evaluation to happen within the context of the experiences of people with disabilities to objectively measure where discrimination is now while developing and tracking solid trend data to determine if and how things are getting better.鈥�

In September, the Africa Regional Monitoring Centre opened its doors in Kigali, Rwanda and will act as a focal point for disability monitoring and reporting in the region. Agreements with centres in Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe and Latin America are expected in the near future. The (SIDA) awarded the research team over $2 million in 2009 to open the four regional centres.

Each centre will act as a focal point for monitoring disability rights in that region, and will play a key role in empowering local people with disabilities to lead disability rights monitoring projects. 鈥淩egional monitoring is most sustainable when local people are involved since it puts long-term roots into the community,鈥� says Rioux. 鈥淭he vast majority of disabled people around the world face endemic poverty 鈭� many don鈥檛 have jobs or go to school or have basic literacy skills. Engaging people with disabilities to lead this process is a more holistic approach to addressing the challenges they face, both as individuals and a collective.鈥�

When all four centres are operational, Rioux anticipates that hundreds of people with disabilities will be engaged in disability rights monitoring activities. The centres will host training on what disability means as a human right, how to collect data and conduct evidence-based research, and how to write and file human rights reports. Groundwork is also being laid to connect monitors with disabilities to other local rights-seeking groups, such as religious-based, race-based and gender-based, to get them coordinating their efforts together instead of separately.

"The Faculty of Health鈥檚 worldwide research aims to help people live healthier lives while co-creating rejuvenated health systems,鈥� says Harvey Skinner, dean of Health. 鈥淧rofessor Rioux's research is an excellent example of how 91亚色 University is on the front line of our increasingly complex, simultaneously global and local world."

Previous phases of this project focused on developing and piloting tools and methods to monitor disability rights. In 2006, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ()鈥檚 Community-University Research Alliances program provided Rioux and her team with just under $1 million to fund Monitoring the Human Rights of People with Disabilities in Canada, which is currently in its last of five years.

In 2008, Rioux also received a two-year $40,000 grant from to research disability and social, economic and cultural rights. She has also received funding from the , and been invited to consult with governments and disabled persons associations around the globe to discuss disability rights. Recently, she and her team wrote the chapter on disability rights monitoring for the .

鈥淧rofessor Rioux鈥檚 disability rights research reflects both the value 91亚色 places on social justice and her expertise in leading large-scale collaborative research projects of international significance,鈥� says Stan Shapson, vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淭his type of knowledge mobilization is a crucial step in making governments more accountable for the social policies they set, and reflects the social input that鈥檚 possible when expertise is globally shared.鈥�

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

The post Researchers creating international global rights-monitoring network for persons with disabilities appeared first on Research & Innovation.

鈥淪SHRC鈥檚 investment in humanities and social sciences research allows our scholars to substantially contribute to Canada鈥檚 knowledge base, to culture and to quality of life,鈥� said Stan Shapson (right), 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淭his basic research helps us to better understand the world while responding to the pressing social issues of our time.鈥�

Forty-seven 91亚色 faculty members received $4.4 million to fund their research projects through 鈥檚 Standard Research Grants program. 91亚色 also received over $560,000 to support 17 projects funded through the:

• Research Development Initiatives competition
• Image, Text, Sound and Technology competition
• International Opportunities Fund
• Aid to Research Workshop competition

Graduate students and doctoral fellows also benefited from the announcements: 148 91亚色 master鈥檚 and doctoral students have won over $5 million in scholarships and fellowships. More than 2,000 graduate and postdoctoral projects across Canada received funding.

Reflecting knowledge mobilization鈥檚 status as a core SSHRC priority, the competition also included special calls for Public Outreach Grants that support existing and ongoing projects that mobilize research results to a range of audiences beyond academia. Nine 91亚色 projects were funded, securing over $1 million for the University.

In this category, 91亚色 researchers enjoyed a 67 per cent success rate; in comparison, 2009 SSHRC applicants averaged a success rate of 33 per cent across all categories.

Through the Public Outreach Grants, 91亚色 researchers will:

• Make literary research available to a broader community of researchers, students, teachers and educators, and policy makers in a sustainable way through the (ORION).
• Empower young mothers by exploring what they need to achieve economic, social, familial and personal wellness and prosperity.
• Share research conducted with marginalized youth with educators, community organizations and other stakeholders to help them understand the alienation and disengagement new migrants and ethno-racial minority youth experience as their families move from Toronto鈥檚 inner city and inner-suburban neighbourhoods to the outer suburbs, such as Peel, Brampton, Vaughan, Markham, Ajax and Pickering.
• Enhance microcredit program success for economic development through social performance ratings by making the information accessible and designing program evaluation instruments.
• Share new scholarship on the immigration of African American refugees from slavery to Canada with educators, community groups, libraries and government agencies, among others.
• Mobilize knowledge on the political economy of women鈥檚 rights鈥攕pecifically, connections among macroeconomic policy, public policies that impact the paid and unpaid work of women, and women鈥檚 access to human rights鈥攖o local human rights organizations that focus on women.
• Provide experts in performance making, theatre design and green technology with a three-day opportunity to share practices, approaches and technological innovations.
• Mobilize the Aboriginal peoples of Canada鈥檚 disparate experiences with and knowledge of conservation by bringing together Aboriginal community representatives, academics, policy-makers, and conservation practitioners.
• Inform climate change policy and practice by making climate change research and evidence available to policy partners in four GTA municipalities (, , and ), and the .

鈥淭hese awards also build upon 91亚色鈥檚 amazing success earlier this year in SSHRC鈥檚 large-scale collaborative competitions,鈥� said Shapson. 鈥�91亚色 received $6 million through SSHRC鈥檚 Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI) and Community-University Research Alliances (CURA) programs. Professors Roger Keil, Pat Armstrong and Carla Lipsig-Mumme are already collaborating with their international research teams to study global suburbanisms, long-term residential healthcare, and work in a warming world.鈥�

鈥淭heir work, coupled with the projects funded through this announcement, addresses key social issues facing Canadian society while demonstrating our leadership in creating and sharing new knowledge across the social sciences and humanities.鈥�

鈥淥ur government continues to invest in world-class research to improve Canadians鈥� quality of life and increase the supply of highly qualified graduates that Canada needs to be successful,鈥� said the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry. 鈥淭he social sciences and humanities show us how to harness and interpret innovation from a human perspective, which translates into benefits for society.鈥�

has posted a complete list of funded projects on their website.

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer.

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Organized by the , the (IRIS) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Chair聽for Reorienting Teacher Education聽Towards Sustainability, the Leadership for Sustainable Communities Symposium will focus on learning, leadership and climate change.

Leading experts from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom will gather at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus for the symposium. They will share their experiences and expertise in the area of climate change with students enrolled in summer courses that address issues of sustainability. The focus of the symposium will be a shared dialogue to examine the intersections between education, leadership and climate change.

91亚色 Faculty of Education Professor Charles Hopkins (right) will open the conference. As the UNESCO Chair聽for Reorienting Teacher Education聽Towards Sustainability聽, Hopkins has developed and continues to coordinate an international network of institutions from 38 countries working on the reorientation of teacher education towards the issues inherent in sustainable development. Hopkins is also an adviser to both UNESCO and the United Nations University regarding the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which began in 2005 and continues until 2014. A major contributor at previous UN summits on sustainability in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992 and in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002, he聽authored聽Chapter 36聽of Agenda 21 of the Rio Earth Summit Action Plan on Education, Public Awareness & Training. Previously, Hopkins was a superintendent with the Toronto Board of Education.

Following Hopkins' opening comments, David Greenwood (left), a professor in the Department of Teaching & Learning at Washington State University, will deliver the keynote address, titled 鈥淣ature, Empire, and Paradox in Environmental and Sustainability Education鈥�. Greenwood conducts research on the relationship between environment, culture, and education; environmental, place-based and sustainability education; and alternative education. He has published widely in journals such as: Harvard Educational Review, Educational Researcher, American Educational Research Journal, Curriculum Inquiry, Educational Administration Quarterly, Environmental Education Research, Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and a host of other publications. Greenwood聽is working on his second book, which will聽examine place and education.

After聽Greenwood's address, a panel of scholars from聽IRIS, the Faculty of Environmental Studies and will present their work as it relates to climate change.

Particpating in the panel are:

(left)聽is聽a professor of biology in 91亚色's , an ecologist and聽the director of IRIS.聽Bazely has聽conducted field research in many ecosystems, including arctic tundra, sub-arctic and temperate salt-marshes, deciduous forests, temperate managed grasslands and prairies, and her research findings on white-tailed deer and lesser snow geese have informed wildlife and conservation management in Canada. In 2003, she published a book on the ecology and control of invasive plants with Professor Judy Myers of the University of British Columbia. She is currently leading an interdisciplinary project based in Canada, Norway and Russia on human security in the Arctic, specifically the impact of oil and gas development on people and ecosystems.

Patricia (Ellie)聽Perkins (right)聽is a professor and聽program coordinator for the Faculty of Environmental Studies at 91亚色. An聽economist who is concerned with the relationship between international trade, the environment and local economies, Perkins聽is interested in globalization and how local economies may grow as an antidote to international trade. She also looks at international means of controlling air pollution in the Arctic and at the metals and minerals resource industries.聽Perkins is the primary investigator of a (SSHRC) funded research project聽titled "Collaborative Research for Equitable Public Participation in Watershed Governance:聽Canada, Brazil, Mozambique, South Africa, Kenya". In 2008, she was awarded the 91亚色 Knowledge Mobilization Course Release for Community Engagement Award. Currently, she is editing a book on feminist ecological economics.

Professor (left)聽is director of Osgoode Hall Law School鈥檚 Mooting Program as well as its LLB/MES Program.聽He is actively involved in the work of the Standards Council of Canada and the International Organization for Standardization in the field of environmental management standards. He has published on numerous topics related to environmental and international affairs, including the ISO 14000 environmental management standards, global environmental governance, sustainability, regulatory reform, corporate social responsibility, Canadian forest law, international relations theory and international fisheries regulation. His current research focuses on the role of voluntary standards for environmental management and corporate social responsibility in the governance of corporate conduct.

In the afternoon, 91亚色 film Professor Brenda Longfellow, award-winning filmmaker, writer and theorist, will screen her 2008 feature-length documentary Weather Report to symposium participants.

As the world reels from a series of unprecedented weather events, it is clear that climate change is forcing a fundamental re-evaluation of our most basic assumptions about energy, progress and values. Produced with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the National Film Board of Canada, looks at the dramatically evolving impacts and social implications of climate change. Travelling through North America, the Canadian Arctic, India and China, the film explores how the battle against climate change is implicated in the larger movement for sustainability and global justice.

Winner of the Sundance Channel's Green Award and the Bronze Remi Award at the 2008 WorldFest-Houston Independent International Film Festival, Longfellow's film has earned high praise from climatologists, educators and others in the field.

"Weather Report is a beautifully filmed documentary that travels the globe and is one of the first films to put a human face on the myriad impacts of climate change. Highly recommended,"聽said Professor Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the聽Yale Project on Climate Change in the聽School of Forestry & Environmental Studies at聽Yale University.

Left: Brenda Longfellow

"Weather Report masterfully accomplishes something scientists have not been very good at 鈥� putting a real, human face on the consequences of global warming and the resulting climate change," said Cindy聽Parker, co-director聽of the Program on Global Sustainability聽& Health in the聽Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Following the screening, there will be an informal聽round-table discussion on climate change and education with a focus on translating knowledge into action. The discussion will feature contributions from:

Professor Tony Shallcross is聽a visiting scholar from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU). Shallcross聽is teaching聽ecology, ethics and education in the Graduate Program in Education Summer Institute at 91亚色. He has聽more than聽20 years of experience working in schools and is a former deputy head and head of department. Before taking up his post at MMU, he was a lecturer in environmental studies at the University of Edinburgh.

is a professor in聽91亚色's Faculty of Education where he coordinates the 91亚色/Seneca Institute for Mathematics, Science聽& Technology Education聽and the Graduate Diploma in Environmental/Sustainability Education.聽Alsop has taught in primary and secondary schools in inner-city London and coordinated the Centre for Learning & Research in Science Education聽at the Roehampton Institute at the聽University of Surrey. He has published widely in science and technology education and his recent books include and [co-edited with Larry Bencze and Erminia Pedretti]. He holds affiliated scholarly positions at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexico; the Roehampton Institute;聽and the Centre for Science, Mathematics &Technology Education at the聽Ontario Institute for Studies in Education,聽University of Toronto. He is associated with a number of activist organizations including The Project for Altruistic Science and Technology Education.

Soni Craik is the acting executive director of EcoSource and has worked for the organization for over four years to extend its educational programming.聽Craik links her academic background聽with her interest in education for sustainability through child rights.聽She has聽worked for the International Institute for Child Rights聽& Development and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in South Africa as a facilitator of a participatory programs evaluation, specializing in working with elementary-aged children.聽Craik has also worked as an environmental education consultant for the Packard Foundation in Ethiopia and for the Child Welfare League of Canada in Cuba on a joint study of Havana鈥檚 social systems.

Rebecca Houwer is a doctoral candidate in the Faculty of Education at 91亚色.聽Prior to returning to university, she worked for several years with community-based organizations committed to educating youth.聽Her academic interests include: ethics and critical place-based education in urban contexts; participatory action research as praxis; ethical community-university relations; ecology without nature; and, collaborative place-making and place-recovery with, and by, forced migrants.聽She聽is a research assistant for the $1-million Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) grant by SSHRC led by 91亚色 social work Professor聽 in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

The symposium will conclude with a wrap-up and pledge that will be delivered by Hopkins.

For more information, visit the聽 Web site.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Above: The 91亚色 Research Tower, which opened in September 2009, features聽some 84,000 square feet of space and houses 12 research centres and two research project teams

鈥�91亚色 is a leading university in social sciences and humanities research, and nothing proves that more than a peer-review process,鈥� said Mamdouh Shoukri, 91亚色's president聽& vice-chancellor, referencing the recent successes of 91亚色 researchers in securing a Killam Prize, two out of four of the Social Sciences聽& Humanities Research Council of Canada鈥檚 (SSHRC) Major Collaborative Research Initiative awards, and a SSHRC Community-University Research Award.

鈥淏ut having excellent researchers puts another level of responsibility on the University, which is to make absolutely sure that we have the environment and the support they need to reach their potential,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his building represents 91亚色鈥檚 commitment to building a research culture for success.鈥�

The 10-storey building, which recently received聽, opened in September 2009 and聽features approximately 84,000 square feet (net) with wireless Internet access. It currently houses 12 research centres and two research project teams, and also provides office space for the and (ABEL) group, which provide support services for researchers. The Office of the Vice-President, Research & Innovation, Office of Research Ethics and Office of Research Services occupy the fifth floor, along with extensive conference and meeting facilities (full occupant list).

鈥淚 think this is the best facility for social science and humanities research in the country, and our researchers deserve it,鈥� said Stan Shapson (left), vice-president research聽& innovation. 鈥淚n addition to many new technologies, it鈥檚 built on the Greek agora model of community that allows researchers to come together and collaborate, both with researchers across the University and with external groups. Some of the issues they鈥檙e studying can鈥檛 be solved in isolation. No one has all the knowledge or the strategy to do it all聽鈥� we have to collaborate, which is also why we want the YRT to be a meeting place for the community to work with us.鈥�

Chad Gaffield (left), , was also present for the event as part of a daylong visit to 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus. 鈥淲e use e-communications to deepen and enrich relationships that are, at least periodically, complemented by physical contact,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he genius of the YRT is its confirmation of the importance of creating face-to-face contact and then complementing those interactions through information communications technology. It鈥檚 a new model of engaged scholarship and research.鈥�

Professor (below, right), director of the Centre for Refugee Studies on the research tower鈥檚 eighth floor, spoke about the importance of creating neighbourhoods for researchers. Since moving into the building, McGrath has formed new research connections with peers in the 91亚色 Centre for Asian Research, the Centre for Research on Latin America & the Caribbean, and , all of which are her neighbours on the聽eighth floor.

鈥淗aving neighbourliness, good meeting space and research resources under one roof is great,鈥� said McGrath. 鈥淚 hosted colleagues from all around the world here for a three-day session in the bright and spacious Conference Centre. With help from ABEL, we streamed parts of our meeting online, allowing those who weren鈥檛 able to travel here opportunities to participate. The facilities are fostering our sense of research culture and allowing us to work more collaboratively than I think we would have without it.鈥�

Graduate students have also benefited from new space on floors six, seven and eight that was designed for them as researchers. 鈥淲hen you walk around the building, you see graduate students everywhere,鈥� said Susan Henders, director of the 91亚色聽Centre for Asian Research. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e working on projects, relaxing in the lounges and interacting with their peers. It鈥檚 quality space that brings them into the centres and fosters their work and professional development, complementing their graduate program training.鈥�

Watch videos from the Research Tower opening, with remarks from President & Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, Vice-President Research & Innovation Stan Shapson, SSHRC President Chad Gaffield, Professor Susan Henders and Professor Susan McGrath.

鈥淥ne student told me that having study space made him feel valued as a researcher and professional in the making,鈥� Henders continued. 鈥淚 want to commend the University for its foresight in recognizing the critical role graduate students play in organized research units and research on the campus.鈥�

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer. Photos courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin.

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Carla 尝颈辫蝉颈驳-惭耻尘尘茅, professor of work and labour studies in聽91亚色's Faculty of Liberal Arts聽& Professional Studies and research fellow in 91亚色鈥檚 , has received $1 million over six years from the (SSHRC).

搁颈驳丑迟:听颁补谤濒补 尝颈辫蝉颈驳-惭耻尘尘茅

The award will fund an international project to study the challenge climate change presents to Canadian employment and workplaces. 尝颈辫蝉颈驳-惭耻尘尘茅 will examine seven Canadian employment sectors to seek policy, training, employment and workplace solutions to effectively assist Canada鈥檚 transition to a low-emission economy. By combining research, workplace education, policy recommendations and pilot projects in transnational work adaptation, her project will allow Canada to re-enter the international debate about how best to engage the work world in the struggle to slow global warming.

鈥淲e need to know more about the chain of processes that comprise work, employment and training in key Canadian industries and professions 鈥� and how their decision-makers understand and respond to the challenge that global warming poses to these processes,鈥� says 尝颈辫蝉颈驳-惭耻尘尘茅. 鈥淥ur second goal is to engage community partners active in the work world and the environmental community in research that identifies critical spaces for adaptation, drawing on their hands-on experience and linking it to the expertise of the academics.鈥�

(CURA)聽awards, among the largest awarded by SSHRC, bring postsecondary institutions and community organizations together as equal research partners to jointly develop new knowledge and capabilities, provide research training opportunities, and enhance the ability of social sciences and humanities research to build knowledge in areas that affect Canadians and their changing communities.

鈥淭his award is the latest in a series of funding successes that reflect 91亚色鈥檚 leadership in national and international collaborative research projects,鈥� said Stan Shapson, vice-president Research & Innovation. 鈥淐limate change is one of the biggest challenges of the 21st century and climate research and innovation are priorities for 91亚色. Our researchers are working with industry, government at all levels, academia, and the community to find ways to address the complex issues it raises.鈥�

尝颈辫蝉颈驳-惭耻尘尘茅鈥檚 research team includes nationally- and internationally-based climate scientists, senior labour market actors and academics from a wide range of disciplines. A total of 23 researchers, 20 partners, and 10 universities in three countries will participate, including 91亚色 Professors David Doorey, , , Jan Kainer, John-Justin McMurtry, and Steven Tufts.

Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science聽& Technology), announced the funding yesterday in Kitchener, Ont. Lipsig-Mumm茅鈥檚 project is one of 20 large-scale research projects funded through SSHRC鈥檚 CURA program.

鈥淭hese grants highlight the excellence of our country鈥檚 talented researchers and recognize the importance of fostering collaboration to keep Canada at the leading-edge of research, development and innovation in the 21st century,鈥� said Chad Gaffield, president of SSHRC.

For a complete list of CURA awards, visit Web site.

Project Partners:

• Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress
• Canadian Union of Postal Workers
• Centre for Labour Studies
• Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union
• Environmental Defence
• Forest Products Sector Council
• Learning for a Sustainable Future
• National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
• National Union of Professional and General Employees
• Ontario Centre for Engineering and Public Policy/Professional Engineers
• Prism Economics and Analysis
• The Clean Air Partnership
• The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada
• Toronto Training Board
• United Food and Commercial Workers Canada Local 1000A
• United Steelworkers of Canada
• UNITE-HERE Canada
• Wood Manufacturing Council
• British Columbia Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

University Partners:

• Auckland University of Technology
• Institute of Land and Food Resources, University of Melbourne
• Institute for Research and Innovation in Sustainability, 91亚色
• Queen's University
• Ryerson University
• Simon Fraser University
• St. Thomas University
• University of British Columbia-Okenagan
• University of Manitoba
• University of Toronto

By Elizabeth Monier-Williams, research communications officer

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