91��ɫ

91��ɫ researchers are at the forefront of six major Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)-funded partnership grants worth close to $15 million, including a 91��ɫ-led international network examining how AI is transforming refugee decision making and access to justice worldwide.

The Partnership Grants funding, announced by SSHRC on July 21, supports large-scale partnerships that bring together universities, governments, community organizations and international collaborators to address complex social, environmental and policy challenges.

The funded projects focus on issues ranging from refugee rights and climate resilience to healthy aging, youth well-being, homelessness and human-animal connections.

Leading 91��ɫ's participation is Sean Rehaag (), whose seven-year Algorithmic Justice for Refugees Research Network project received $2,499,995 to investigate the growing use of algorithms, AI and other digital technologies in refugee and migration systems.

The international partnership includes researchers and organizations across Canada, Europe, Africa, Australia and the Middle East and will examine how emerging technologies affect refugee rights, access to protection and government accountability.

91��ɫ Interim President and Vice-Chancellor Lisa Philipps says the project shows the impact that long-term investment in interdisciplinary reseach can have. "The project grew from years of interdisciplinary research and the strong foundation provided by the Centre for Refugee Studies, one of 91��ɫ's Organized Research Units to make it possible. 91��ɫ is proud to stand with Professor Rehaag and his partners on this meaningful project."

91��ɫ researchers are also co-applicants on five additional partnership grants that received funding ranging from $2.4 million to $2.5 million each. Together, the projects position 91��ɫ researchers within some of Canada's largest and most ambitious social sciences and humanities research collaborations.

"91��ɫ researchers continue to demonstrate leadership in building research partnerships that bring together scholars, governments and organizations to address complex challenges facing communities in Canada and around the world,” says Amir Asif, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research and innovation. “These projects reflect 91��ɫ's strengths in interdisciplinary, community-engaged research and demonstrate how collaboration can generate knowledge that informs policy, supports decision-making and contributes to positive social change." 

The funded partnerships involving 91��ɫ researchers include:

• Aging in the Margins: Building Inclusivity and Goodwill (AIM BIG), funded at $2,500,000 over seven years, with Natalia Balyasnikova (Faculty of Education) serving as a co-applicant. The project will examine the experiences of aging among marginalized populations in Canada and internationally.

• (Re)Thinking Sustainability: Research Network for Global Environmental Humanities, funded at $2,499,814 over seven years, with Andil Gosine () and Jean-Thomas Tremblay (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) as co-applicants. The network will explore environmental challenges through humanities-based research and public engagement.

• Connecting to Place Through Disaster Response: New Opportunities for Community-Campus Partnerships, funded at $2,417,600 over five years, with Ali Asgary and Eva Bogdan (LA&PS) serving as co-applicants. The project focuses on strengthening community resilience and disaster response through collaborative research.

• Establishing a Network for Human-Animal Connections Research and Collaboration, funded at $2,500,000 over five years, with Cheryl van Daalen-Smith (Faculty of Graduate Studies) serving as a co-applicant and Leesa Fawcett (EUC) as a collaborator. The partnership will examine the role of human-animal relationships in health and well-being across diverse settings.

• Pathways from Child Welfare and Community Services to Stable or Precarious Living Conditions, funded at $2,500,000 over seven years, with Stephen Gaetz (Faculty of Education) serving as a co-applicant. The project will investigate the experiences of young people transitioning from child welfare systems and community services and identify pathways to long-term stability and well-being.

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