Stephen Gaetz (right), professor and associate dean in the Faculty of Education, has received more than $2.5 million in funding over seven years to lead 鈥淐anadian Observatory on Homelessness鈥�, with more than 27 researchers 鈥� including Professor Janet Mosher at Osgoode Hall Law School, Professor Valerie Preston in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) and Professor Stan Shapson in the Faculty of Education 鈭� and 29 partner organizations. The project, a non-partisan research and policy partnership, aims to evaluate current policy directions and programmatic approaches to preventing and reducing homelessness, address key policy questions, and support the development and implementation of effective and sustainable solutions to homelessness in communities across Canada. The goal is to mobilize research on homelessness so it has a greater impact on policy and practice, leading to more effective solutions to homelessness. The project, which will also receive more than $2.5 million in matching funding and contributions from partnering organizations, will leverage the collaborative, research and knowledge mobilization capacities of participating individuals and organizations.

Anna Hudson (left), professor in the Faculty of Fine Arts, has received more than $3.5 million over six years to lead a major project titled 鈥淢obilizing Inuit Cultural Heritage: a multi-media/multi-platform re-engagement of voice in visual art and performance鈥�, with 10 researchers 鈥� including Professor Susan Dion in the Faculty of Education and Professor Angela Norwood from the Faculty of Fine Arts 鈥� and nine partner organizations. The goal of the project is to conduct collaborative research on the contribution of Inuit visual culture, art and performance to Inuit language preservation, social well-being and cultural identity. The project will address the current disconnect for Inuit today between orality 鈥� being the voice that defines the self in relation to others 鈥� and materiality 鈥� being the environment in which one lives well together through three primary objectives: access to advanced information and communication technologies, connection of Inuit voice to objects of Inuit cultural heritage and expanded creation of Inuit cultural capacity. It will receive an additional $1.9 million in matching funding and contributions from partnering organizations.

Leah Vosko (right), Canada Research Chair in the Political Economy of Gender and Work and political science professor, LA&PS, has received more than $2 million in funding over five years to lead a major national project with 33 researchers 鈥� including Professor Mark Thomas in the Department of Sociology and Professor Eric Tucker at Osgoode Hall Law School 鈭� and 16 partner organizations. The project, titled 鈥淐losing the Enforcement Gap: Improving Employment Standards Protection for People in Precarious Jobs鈥�, will examine the role of employment standards enforcement in ensuring minimum conditions in areas such as wages, working time, vacations and leaves for workers in precarious jobs in Ontario, characterized by job insecurity, low income and limited access to regulatory protection. The objectives of the project, which will receive more than an additional $1.3 million in matching funding and contributions from partnering organizations, are to map the nature and scope of employment standards violations and document enforcement practices to identify regulatory challenges and develop alternative models of enforcement that may be applied in Ontario and other jurisdictions within Canada and internationally.

鈥淲e are delighted by the results of these recent SSHRC competitions, enabling 91亚色 to maintain our track record in leading the country in the Social Sciences & Humanities Research Council of Canada鈥檚 large-scale awards competitions valued at $1 million or more,鈥� said Robert Hach茅, 91亚色鈥檚 vice-president research and innovation. 鈥淭he projects led by 91亚色 Professors Stephen Gaetz, Anna Hudson and Leah Vosko enable our researchers to work together with research partners to address persistent, social and economic challenges facing our society today. It will also enable our researchers and graduate students to make important contributions to our country鈥檚 knowledge base.鈥�

Two 91亚色 researchers were also awarded more than $397,000 in SSHRC funding through the Partnership Development Grants program.聽The program encourages applicants to work collaboratively with partners to develop research in the social sciences and humanities.聽This funding will support partnerships between 91亚色 researchers and Canadian and international universities, a charitable organization and an international association.

Gary Goodyear, federal minister of state for science and technology, announced the funding on Friday, May 31, at the launch of the annual Congress of the Humanities & Social Sciences.聽 In total, more than $63 million is being awarded over a period of seven years to support 78 research teams across the country through SSHRC鈥檚 Partnership Grants and Partnership Development Grants. An additional $104 million from SSHRC鈥檚 Talent Program will support more than 3,700 master鈥檚, doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships and fellowships.

An analysis conducted by the Strategic & Institutional Research Initiatives Unit, in the Office of Research Services at 91亚色, revealed that between 2006 and 2013, 91亚色 researchers received more SSHRC awards valued at $1 million or more than any other institution in Canada. SSHRC鈥檚 large-scale awards offered between 2001 and 2013 have included the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA), Major Collaborative Research Initiatives (MCRI), the Strategic Knowledge Clusters and the SSHRC Partnership Grants.

For a complete list of Partnership Grant and Partnership Development Grant awards, visit the website.

Republished courtesy of YFile鈥� 91亚色鈥檚 daily e-bulletin to research stories on the research website.

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Tsushima, professor in 91亚色鈥檚 Department of Biology, holds a Career Investigator Award from the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Ontario. His research program investigates the molecular and cellular basis of heart and pancreatic islet function, with implications for addressing heart disease and diabetes. He has been supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Heart聽& Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Diabetes Association.

Robert Tsushima

Prior to joining 91亚色 in 2007, Professor Tsushima was a faculty member for eight years at the University of Toronto. He received his PhD in pharmacology from the University of Western Ontario, followed by postdoctoral training at Northwestern University in Chicago and Toronto General Hospital.

He has served on national and provincial grant review panels, including those of the CIHR, Heart聽& Stroke Foundation, Canadian Diabetes Association, Alberta Heritage Medical Research Foundation and Banting Foundation, and reviewed for numerous international granting agencies. He is currently on the editorial board of the American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted to have an academic of Professor Tsushima鈥檚 distinction joining us in this role,鈥� said Don Hastie, interim dean, Faculty of Science & Engineering. 鈥淗e has already contributed much to the Faculty and to 91亚色 as a whole. We look forward to working with him as we continue to shape and build our research program.鈥�

Tsushima replaces Professor Imogen Coe, who will relocate to Ryerson University as the founding Dean of Science, effective Aug. 1.

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The聽roundtable provided a forum for participants to discuss technological advancements, research partnerships and community collaborations for the benefit of improving health care delivery for citizens.

From left, Altaf Stationwala, president聽& CEO of 91亚色 Central Hospital, Ken Ono, vice-president analytics of NexJ Systems Inc., Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua, Harvey Skinner, dean, Faculty of Health, Robert Hach茅, vice-president research & innovation at 91亚色聽University

鈥淭he 91亚色 Leadership Roundtable provided an opportunity to facilitate and create mutually productive relationships with businesses, industry, social service organizations and the municipal and regional leadership of 91亚色 Region,鈥� said Robert Hach茅, 91亚色 vice-president research & innovation. 鈥淒uring the session, our keynote speakers provided a great snapshot of new innovations in the health services sector and the exciting opportunities to foster collaborative research partnerships for continued growth and development.鈥�

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua welcomed all participants to the event and highlighted the importance of forming collaborative networks to improve health care delivery in the region.

鈥淭he 91亚色 Roundtable was a great initiative to better comprehend and seek solutions to the challenges we face in health care. The thoughtful analysis of the changing dynamics of our system provided much value added to the understanding of what is required to bring about much needed reform," said Bevilacqua.

"Through effective dialogue and collaboration we can find the path that will bring us closer to the answers needed to build an effective, efficient and caring user-friendly health care system. The discussion about the use of technology as an enabler for positive change was a reminder of the incredible opportunities we must seize to move forward and innovate towards the creation of a modern and avant-garde system,鈥� said Bevilacqua.

Speakers at the event included聽Harvey Skinner, dean of聽91亚色's Faculty of Health;聽Ken Ono, vice-president of NexJ Systems Inc.; and Altaf Stationwala, president聽& CEO of 91亚色 Central Hospital.

Skinner discussed how a new approach to the management of health care is setting the stage for industry partnerships, creating efficiencies within the delivery of health care and driving new models for teaching and educating the health care professionals of tomorrow.聽 He presented a new integrated eHealth solution and software development project aimed at enabling patients to monitor their health and wellness, diet and exercise program on a daily basis with the support of a health coach.

The program will help to promote a health active lifestyle, explained Skinner, and will聽enable health care providers and patients to work collaboratively to improve a patient鈥檚 health, minimize dependency on an already heavily-taxed health care system. He 聽and can lead to job creation for a new Health Coach profession 鈥� an individual who will monitor the health and wellness of patients and help them change behaviourthrough the technology.

Ono聽offered an industry perspective on innovating in the health care sector. He addressed聽some of the opportunities and surmountable challenges of working with universities to spearhead commercialization vehicles.

Sharing his experiences working collaboratively with 91亚色 researchers,聽聽Stationwala presented聽his perspective on the research agenda that will help to deliver a sustainable health system at 91亚色 Central Hospital and the Region of 91亚色.

During a lively question and answer period, the group of聽more than聽40 senior executives and community leaders discussed the continuing importance of investing in research and development,聽strategies for addressing the innovation needs of businesses and the health care sector, and the role of universities in fostering economic strength in their surrounding cities.

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