The 10-storey, 400,000-square-foot facility, designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects, received Canadian Interiors’ 2026 Best of Canada Award in the institutional category for “a design that places emotional comfort, social engagement, wellness and intuitive movement at the centre of the design agenda.”

The award adds to recent recognition for 91��ɫ’s newest campus, which was created to expand educational opportunities in one of Canada’s fastest-growing urban regions. Markham Campus previously earned top honours at the GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN Awards and was named a winner in the LEARN category of the 2025 ARIDO Awards.

According to Canadian Interiors, this year’s winning projects reflected a growing emphasis on spaces that support meaningful experiences and respond to culture, heritage and contemporary design priorities.

Located in Markham, the campus is organized around a five-storey atrium that serves as a gathering space. A central staircase links classrooms, study areas and collaborative spaces, while glazing and daylight help maintain sightlines across multiple floors.

The facility supports interdisciplinary learning and research through flexible teaching, collaboration and community-focused spaces. Its interior design encourages interaction among students, faculty, staff and visitors by connecting learning, research and informal activity spaces.

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Jean-Pierre, a faculty member in 91��ɫ's Department of Sociology, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, received the award for her article "Overlooked and underserved: How inclusive education oversights exclude Black students."

Published in the , the study investigates how the intersection of race and disability shapes educational experiences and access to support in Canadian schools.

The award recognizes the impact of research emerging from 91��ɫ that advances understanding of equity, inclusion and educational access. By identifying barriers that can remain hidden within existing systems, the study offers evidence to inform policy and practice aimed at creating more equitable learning environments.

“This award highlights the importance of studying how race and disability intersect in educational settings,” says Jean-Pierre. “By drawing on the perspectives of students, caregivers and community members, we were able to identify ways that disability-related procedures can inadvertently limit access to learning opportunities for some Black students."

CACS award committee members noted in the announcement that Jean-Pierre's work "advances research in the field and will continue to be a meaningful reference point for curriculum scholars for years to come."

The study finds that policies intended to promote inclusion and equity do not always lead to equitable experiences for Black students, and participants described three recurring issues: incorrect use of Individual Program Plans (IPPs), limited support for mental health needs and inconsistent identification of learning disabilities and related accommodations.

Jean-Pierre suggests that school processes can unintentionally create barriers when racism and ableism are addressed separately, such as failing to follow-up with Black students' caregivers after an assessment to facilitate a student-family-school discussion to plan and implement accommodations.

This, she says, points to the need for closer alignment across inclusivity and equity resources.

The study calls for closer partnerships among schools and Black families, students and caregivers, along with more consistent identification of learning disabilities and implementation of accommodations. It also points to the need for teacher education and professional development that address how racism and ableism can shape educational experiences.

The award follows recognition from the Canadian Sociological Association, which awarded Jean-Pierre the 2025 Outstanding Service Award for her “efforts to engage Black and/or Francophone faculty and students” leading to the growth of the CSA.

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Announced July 21, SSHRC will provide funding through three of its programs: Insight Development Grants: February 2026 Competition; Partnership Development Grants: 2025 Competition; and Connection Grants: May 2026 Competition.

More than $2.5 million will support 33 91��ɫ-led Insight Development Grants for early-stage projects and help researchers pursue innovative questions, methods and approaches that can lay the groundwork for larger research programs.

Close to $1 million will support five 91��ɫ-led Partnership Development Grants, helping researchers build new collaborations with universities, community organizations, governments and industry partners. Knowledge mobilization will also be supported through Connection Grants, with close to $50,000 for a 91��ɫ initiative.

The projects cover a wide range of topics, including Indigenous health and decolonization, democratic discourse, climate adaptation, financial vulnerability, labour and social justice, migration, cultural identity and AI.

"These investments in research are investments in our collective future," says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. "These projects empower researchers to test new ideas, forge meaningful partnerships and generate knowledge that addresses complex societal challenges. Together, they are laying the foundations for discoveries and innovations that will create meaningful benefits for communities in Canada and around the world."

The projects reflect 91��ɫ’s commitment to community-engaged research, interdisciplinary collaboration and generating knowledge that addresses real-world challenges.

Insight Development Grants

The 33 Insight Development Grants demonstrate the diversity and breadth of emerging research underway across the University. Among the funded projects are those that examine topics such as Indigenous knowledge systems, public health, democratic discourse, AI and financial vulnerability:

• Dayna Scott () – Visualizing Cumulative Effects: Anishinaabe Counter-Mapping on the Extractive Frontier
• Emily Kuang () – Multicultural and Multilingual Family Bonding and Knowledge Sharing Across Generations: A Culturally Responsive Approach to Generative AI Application
• Rémi Vivès (Glendon College) – Measuring Populist Discourse: Canada in Comparative Perspective
• Ashley Day () – Wiisokotaatiwin – gathering to re-imagine decolonial health education
• Peiya Cao (Faculty of Health) – Intergenerational Minority Stress and Child Well-Being in LGBTQ+ Families: A National Census-Linked Study in Canada
• Zissis Paraskevas Poulos (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) – Risk-Sensitive Learning and Tacit Coordination in Algorithmic Financial Markets

Other initiatives examine corporate accountability, Black Canadian history, labour law, climate resilience in public infrastructure, machine ethics, innovation and entrepreneurship, disability rights, migration, Indigenous knowledge systems and social inclusion. View the of recipients and their projects.

Partnership Development Grants

The six 91��ɫ-led Partnership Development Grants will support collaborations focused on financial vulnerability, youth in care, planetary health, workers’ education and Canadian computing heritage and include:

• Ida Ferrara – (LA&PS) Addressing Financial Vulnerability Through Inclusive Insurance
• Jennine Rawana (Faculty of Health) – Exploring the Needs of Youth Transitioning Out of the Care of Child Welfare Agencies
• Kate Tilleczek (Faculty of Education) – Planetary Health Partnership: Mapuche-Williche Youth-Led Research as Practices of Küme Mogen
• Katherine Nastovski (LA&PS) – Re-Imagining Workers’ Education in the 21st Century
• Mark Hayward (LA&PS) – Preserving, Promoting and Researching Canadian Computing Heritage
• Sarah Rotz (Faculty of Environmental & Urban Change) – Confronting Financialization, Consolidation, and Settler-colonial Agri-food Land Governance in Canada

91��ɫ researchers are also directly involved as co-applicants for six other Partnership Development Grants totaling $1.19 million. See the of projects and recipients.

“The awards underscore 91��ɫ's leadership in advancing research that connects disciplines, sectors and communities in pursuit of positive social change. By fostering collaborations across local, national and international networks, our researchers are generating knowledge and solutions that help build a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future for all,” says Asif.

Connection Grants

SSHRC’s Connection Grants competition, which funds short-term knowledge mobilization initiatives, will provide $49,974 to Richard Saunders (LA&PS) to examine the social and environmental dimensions of critical mineral extraction through knowledge-sharing and public engagement activities through his project Image as Voice: Perspectives on Lithium Extraction in Argentina and Zimbabwe. 

Two other projects that focus on aging and Asian Canadian studies include co-applicants from 91��ɫ. View the  of recipients. 

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Awarded through CIHR's Project Grant program, the funding supports researchers and trainees pursing projects across the health research spectrum, from foundational discovery to applied research and knowledge mobilization.

The four 91��ɫ-funded projects span neuroscience, mental health, autoimmune disease and Indigenous health, and position the University as a leader in research that focuses on building healthy lives, communities and environments through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

"This investment reflects the excellence, breadth and growing impact of health research at 91��ɫ and the ,” says Dean David Peters. These CIHR-funded projects bring together researchers, trainees and community partners to improve care, inform policy and advance the health and well-being of individuals and communities.”

Ali Abdul Sater, associate professor at the Faculty of Health, received $1,017,450 to investigate the role of a protein known as TRAF1 in rheumatoid arthritis. The  aims to identify new ways of targeting inflammation while preserving protective immune functions, with the goal of informing the development of more precise treatments for the autoimmune disease. 

Kate Dunn, assistant professor at the Faculty of Health, was awarded $761,174 to work with First Nations communities on culturally grounded approaches to liver wellness and hepatitis C awareness, screening and care. Building on previous CIHR-funded research, and working with a team of co-investigators including 91��ɫ’s Mia Biondi, Karen Campbell, Tarama Barnett and Ashley Day, the  will co-design community-integrated pathways that combine Indigenous knowledge, creative engagement and clinical access to improve awareness and access to services.  

Also at the Faculty of Health, Jonathan Weiss, a professor in the Department of Psychology, was awarded $730,576 together with co-principal investigator Yona Lunsky (The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) for a project exploring therapeutic photography as a mental health intervention for youth with intellectual disabilities. Co-designed with young people and their families, the  will test whether photography can provide an accessible means of self-expression and support mental well-being. The project includes several co-investigators, with 91��ɫ’s Shital Desai, Nazilla Khanlou, Georges Monette, Paul Ritvo and Kate Tilleczek among the group. 

At the Faculty of Science,��Jeffrey Schall, a professor in the Department of Biology, received $1,059,526 for research examining how the brain's prefrontal cortex supports attention and decision-making. The  will use advanced brain imaging and monitoring techniques to advancing understanding with potential applications for conditions that affect these functions. 

���Դdzٳ����� at University Health Network (UHN) will be co-led by 91��ɫ assistant professor Divya Sharma, Faculty of Science and carried out at the University.  With $726,752 in funding to UHN, the team of researchers will investigate the use of AI to analyze biological differences among people with knee osteoarthritis. The work aims to better predict who is most likely to benefit from knee replacement surgery and could help guide more personalized treatments and patient outcomes. 

"Addressing today's pressing health challenges requires inspired collaboration across fields, linking excellence in fundamental science to practice at the bedside," says Faculty of Science Dean Maydianne Andrade. "These federally funded projects are emblematic of the research at 91��ɫ and the Faculty of Science, advancing our ability to translate complex data into innovative models and decision tools that can transform lives."

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Each Faculty will receive $5,000 a year over five years for the scholarship, reflecting a total gift amount of $75,000.

The donor, an engineer by training, understands that many university students are finding it increasingly difficult to fund their education given challenging economic times, changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and the uncertainty of clear career paths after graduation.

“This scholarship represents an important opportunity to give back to the community and to support the next generation of students and leaders,” he said in an interview. “My desire is to provide funding for three programs which are socially critical but are often economically undervalued.”

The donor believes that increasing access to education is essential and warrants support.

“I’ve benefited a lot from great teachers,” he said. “I value what a great teacher can do for a class or even for one student. ‘To teach is to touch’ and the impact a teacher can have on someone is enduring and profound.”

Professor Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education at 91��ɫ, said, “I salute our donor’s generosity, as well as his deep understanding that good educators have a foundational impact on student success at all levels.

“In helping to remove financial barriers for talented students, he is creating opportunities for not only those students, but also the generations of others who will be influenced by these future teachers’ skills, knowledge and values. The ripple effect will touch people far beyond the Faculty of Education.”

The donor also aims to help students in the arts and in psychology. As a patron and supporter of the arts, he believes art can challenge people to think deeply about themselves and society. In addition, mental health support should extend to everyone, he said, because “a great mental health practitioner can make a real and lasting impact on someone’s life.”

“Beginning University is a significant milestone, and support during this important transition can have a lasting impact on a student’s confidence, success and academic journey,” says Faculty of Health Dean David Peters. “This generous gift recognizes the value of psychology education and will help our students thrive at 91��ɫ."

Brandon Vickerd, dean of AMPD, says the donor’s investment in student success across multiple disciplines reflects a deep commitment to the transformative power of education.

“By supporting students at a pivotal stage in their academic journeys, this gift will help foster creativity, leadership and meaningful community impact. We are grateful for the donor’s vision and generosity,” he says.

The scholarships, named the Wild Rose Awards after the donor’s native Alberta, are open to first-year undergraduates in each field. Applicants must demonstrate financial need and a strong dedication to leadership through volunteer work, student leadership roles or other community involvement, as well as a demonstrated commitment to advancing women in their field or community through leadership, advocacy or engagement.

Those interested are asked to submit a brief statement about themselves with their application.

“These scholarships are intended to enable students to pursue leadership opportunities, refine their craft and access training that they are passionate about,” the donor said. “I hope that this scholarship allows recipients to create something beautiful, whether through understanding, insight, creativity or by paying it forward to others.”

For additional information about the Wild Rose Awards, visit .

With files from Elaine Smith

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Awarded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's (SSHRC) Insight Grants program, the funding supports medium- and long-term research initiatives over four to six years.

The projects, led by 91��ɫ researchers across multiple Faculties and research units, address issues affecting communities in Canada and around the world with research topics that explore a range of issues with local, national and global significance.

"SSHRC Insight Grants enable researchers to pursue ambitious, long-term programs of inquiry that deepen understanding of complex social issues and generate knowledge with real-world relevance," says Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation. "This year's funded projects demonstrate the remarkable breadth of 91��ɫ's research strengths, spanning health and well-being, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, Indigenous knowledge and cultural resurgence, education, labour markets, environmental and climate challenges, social inclusion, governance and public policy. Together these projects will generate new insights that help inform policy, practice and public dialogue in Canada and around the world."

Among the largest grants is a six-year, $463,646 project led by Stephanie Ben-Ishai () examining the financial and psychological effects of insolvency. Ann Marie Murnaghan (Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies) received $459,784 for a six-year project focused on cultural resurgence in Witsuwit'en territories, while Michael Kalu () received $456,501 for research examining the needs of Black older adults and developing Afrocentric-informed strategies.

Other significant awards include Andrea Emberly's (LA&PS) six-year study exploring community connection and musical arts among young people, funded at $435,379, and Shital Desai's () six-year, $417,127 project investigating approaches to strengthening communication and relationships in dementia care. Enakshi Dua (LA&PS) received $411,890 for a five-year project that explores the changing landscape of diversity, equity, inclusion and decolonization initiatives.

Several funded projects examine the social implications of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. Christo El Morr (Faculty of Health) received $396,562 for Mapping Workplace Racism in Canada: A Community-Driven AI Platform Grounded in Ontario, while sava saheli singh's (Faculty of Education) Machine Learning or Learning Machines: Critical AI Futures in Education received $111,678. Isha Sharma (LA&PS) received $123,659 to study the adoption and impact of agentic AI in financial crime compliance.

Health and social well-being are also prominent themes. Mary Fox (Faculty of Health) received $400,708 to develop an e-learning intervention aimed at disrupting ageism in social work education, while Nazilla Khanlou's (Faculty of Health) $390,389 project will examine supports for racialized families of children and youth with developmental disabilities. Kerry Scott (Faculty of Health) received $286,282 to investigate public trust and engagement with Ontario's health system.

Other projects, listed below, explore immigrant inequality, labour market barriers, disability and education policy, climate and energy transitions, Indigenous resurgence, entrepreneurship in the age of AI, anti-human trafficking and cultural heritage, and more, reflecting the breadth of 91��ɫ's research strengths.

Russ Patrick P. Alcedo, AMPD
Project: From Field to Stage: Choreographing for Theatre Philippine Folk Dance Practices through Ethnographic Research
Funding: $163,951

Lalaie Ameeriar, LA&PS
Project: We Inherit Each Other: Racialized Care Work and Reproductive Labour during and after COVID-19
Funding: $109,580

Ilya Archakov, LA&PS
Project: Measuring and Modeling Economic Correlations: Robust, Valid, and Large-Scale
Funding: $59,770

Godfred O. Boateng, Faculty of Health
Project: A Cross-Cultural Validation of Housing Insecurity Scale in Slums and Informal Settlements
Funding: $362,992

Rebecca Caines, AMPD
Project: Interfacing, Playtesting, Resetting: Reframing Technology Use Through Improvised Creative Technologies
Funding: $118,750

Barnali Choudhury, Osgoode Hall Law School
Project: Improving Modern Slavery Reporting in Canada: Legal Ripple Effects and Insights from Australia
Funding: $185,789

Elicia A. Clements, LA&PS
Project: Interventions in Early Twentieth-Century Opera: Gender, Race, Coloniality
Funding: $104,553

Matias Cortes, LA&PS
Project: The Role of Firms in Lifecycle Earnings Growth and Inequality
Funding: $109,052

David B. Goldstein, LA&PS
Project: Imagined Tables: Eating and the Articulation of Community
Funding: $111,875

Luann M. Good Gingrich, LA&PS
Project: Places and Spaces of Social Inclusion: A Contextual Analysis of Immigrant Inequality in Canada
Funding: $254,831

Philip A. Harland, LA&PS
Project: Criminalization of Minorities and Subject Peoples in Antiquity
Funding: $116,231

Robert J. Heynen, LA&PS
Project: Mediations of Anti-Human Trafficking: Technology, Securitization, and Policing at the Border
Funding: $218,627

Alice J. Hovorka,
Project: Animal Performativity: ‘Becoming Primate’ in Human Society
Funding: $207,650

Hong Kal, AMPD
Project: Grievable Images: Visualizing State Violence and Resistance in South Korea Since 1948
Funding: $115,556

Magdalena J. Kazubowski-Houston, AMPD
Project: Performing Eco-Grief: Youth, Theatre, and Climate Mourning in Canada and Poland
Funding: $217,657

Étienne Lalé, LA&PS
Project: Foot Traffic, Consumer Spending, and Employment: New Insights from Cell Phone Data
Funding: $105,346

Margaret E. MacDonald, LA&PS
Project: Governing Reproduction in Senegal: Discourses and Images in the Postcolonial Archive
Funding: $105,490

Raymond A. Mar, Faculty of Health
Project: Learning Social Content from Stories
Funding: $124,843

Yuka Nakamura, Faculty of Health
Project: Community and Connection: Understanding the Growth and Social Impact of Ethnic, Cultural and Religious Sport Organizations in Toronto
Funding: $172,229

Lilian K. Ng,
Project: Giving Where They Operate: Biodiversity Governance and Corporate Philanthropy
Funding: $161,035

Ken Ogata, LA&PS
Project: Legitimacy and the Hierarchy of Artefacts Along the Entrepreneurial Journey: Evidence from the Introduction of Third-Party Certification Agencies into the Collectible Comic Books Industry
Funding: $101,646

Nathanael Ojong, LA&PS
Project: Entrepreneurship and the Sustainable Development Goals in the Age of AI
Funding: $286,219

Salewa Olawoye, LA&PS
Project: Towards An Inclusive Monetary Theory: African Entrepreneurship and Money Creation
Funding: $124,927

Oyemolade Osibodu, Faculty of Education
Project: Navigating Blackness: Sub-Saharan African Immigrant Parents' and Youth's Perspectives on the Racialization of Mathematics Education
Funding: $106,237

Gillian Parekh, Faculty of Education
Project: Constructing Disability in Education: Disability Identity, Policy Enactment and Academic Outcomes
Funding: $342,757

Jennifer R. Pybus, LA&PS
Project: Extracting Intimacy: FemTech, Surveillance, and Sovereignty
Funding: $98,892

Amanda Ricci, Glendon College
Project: At the Heart of the City: A History of the Garment Industry in Montreal, 1930–1990
Funding: $81,855

Perry Sadorsky, Schulich School of Business
Project: Energy Transition Systemic Risk in Times of Uncertainty
Funding: $109,082

Akolisa Ufodike, LA&PS
Project: Gatekeeping Growth: Immigration, Credentialing, and the Hidden Drivers of Canada's Productivity Decline
Funding: $375,300

Daniel J. Wigfield, LA&PS
Project: Systemic Integrity: Institutional Logics and Misconduct in Federated Sport Governance
Funding: $242,431

91��ɫ researchers are also directly involved as co-applicants for 15 other projects awarded a total of $3.85 million. See the of projects and recipients.

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This summer, YFile examines how 91��ɫ-led researchers move ideas into impact through the Connected Minds Prototyping Awards. This series shows innovation in practice – how socially responsible technologies are tested in real-world settings and how this work drives meaningful change.

In an era where health information is only a few clicks away, finding answers that are accurate, trustworthy and easy to understand can still be a challenge.

Scientific databases contain vast amounts of knowledge about human health and disease, but much of it is written for researchers and clinicians using specialized language and technical terminology. For other individuals trying to understand a diagnosis, assess a health risk or learn about a specific condition, navigating this complex landscape can be overwhelming.

91��ɫ is collaborating with researchers at the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) to break down these barriers through an AI-powered chatbot that provides accessible, easy-to-understand health information.

The chatbot serves as a conversational interface for Reactome, one of the world's largest curated databases of biological pathways and processes that drive human health and disease. While widely used by biomedical researchers, Reactome's technical language can make its information difficult for non-experts to understand.

Amin Mawani, director of the Master of Health Industry Administration (MHIA) program at 91��ɫ’s , contributes patient and user perspectives to the project, which also brings together Lincoln Stein, scientific director (interim) and head of Adaptive Oncology at OICR; Helia Mohammadi, a graduate student at the University of Toronto; and Adam Wright, a scientific software engineer at OICR.

Drawing on the power of AI, the chatbot allows users to search Reactome in natural language and receive answers in a clear, user-friendly format tailored to their level of understanding. Whether someone wants to know what causes diabetes, learn more about a genetic predisposition to cancer or explore why they feel tired after eating carbohydrates, the tool is designed to translate complex scientific concepts into plain language.

Mawani says the broader goal is to make trusted scientific knowledge more accessible and strengthen connections between researchers and the public. “This tool helps to close the gaps in understanding between the research community and the citizens whose tax dollars support them,” he says.

The project received support through the Connected Minds Prototyping Award, a program that helps researchers translate promising ideas into practical tools. The funding supported a graduate student and a scientific software developer who moved the project from concept through prototype development and into production. The project's emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity reflects the mission of Connected Minds – a multi-million-dollar transdisciplianry research initiative led by 91��ɫ and Queen's universities to develop socially responsible technologies that benefit diverse communities.

Today, the chatbot is fully operational and serves approximately 500 unique users each month. Users can ask for information on a range of topics, from everyday health concerns to more complex scientific concepts.

As more people turn to online tools for health information, the team notes the source of the chatbot's answers is central to its value.

One of the project's key goals is to combat health misinformation by drawing its responses from curated databases rather than unverified online sources. By providing scientifically grounded answers, the platform helps users make more informed decisions about their health.

The team also sees the chatbot as a tool for improving health equity. By offering information in multiple languages, it is able to serve users from diverse backgrounds, regardless of health knowledge or familiarity with English.

"Our goal is to bring structured and accurate scientific medical information to people from all backgrounds and communities in a way that removes barriers created by technical language and accessibility challenges," says Mawani.

According to Mawani, better access to reliable health information can have impacts that extend beyond individual users. More informed patients may be better equipped to recognize misleading or false claims, seek timely medical care and take preventive steps before conditions become more serious.

In addition to helping members of the public better understand their own health, the technology has potential applications for researchers. Future enhancements will allow users to analyze large biological datasets and interpret results through simple natural-language prompts.

As the project gains momentum, the team plans to expand awareness of the tool through publications, conferences, workshops and tutorials, while integrating the chatbot more deeply within the Reactome platform.

By making trusted biomedical knowledge easier to access while supporting future scientific discovery, Mawani and his colleagues hope the platform will improve health outcomes for communities and offer researchers a more streamlined way to access knowledge.

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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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This summer, YFile examines how 91��ɫ-led researchers move ideas into impact through the Connected Minds Prototyping Awards. This series shows innovation in practice – how socially responsible technologies are tested in real-world settings and how this work drives meaningful change.

From buttoning a shirt to turning a doorknob, people rely on their hands to perform countless tasks every day. Yet, despite the importance of the human hand, studying how people learn and perform these movements is challenging for researchers.

Traditional methods of tracking hand movements are often expensive, time-consuming and require participants to wear uncomfortable sensors or reflective markers. These techniques often interfere with the natural hand movements researchers attempt to study, rendering the results as ineffective.

At 91��ɫ, researchers are addressing this challenge through the development of ATHENA (Automatically Tracking Hands Expertly with No Annotations), an AI-powered motion-tracking system that captures natural hand movements without requiring markers, sensors or wearable devices.

The project is led by Jonathan Michaels, assistant professor at the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, alongside Daanish (Dan) Mulla, a postdoctoral fellow and lead researcher on the project.

"We wanted a way to measure natural hand movement as it actually happens, without attaching anything to the person," says Michaels.

Using synchronized video from multiple low-cost cameras and machine-learning algorithms, ATHENA captures footage of a person to map their hand, body and face movements in three dimensions. This open-source software removes the barriers associated with traditional motion capture systems by eliminating costs and tedious setup requirements while upholding accurate measurements.

In validation studies, ATHENA was tested against traditional marker-based technology commonly considered the gold standard in movement science. The results showed strong accuracy across a range of tasks, from simple reaching and grasping to handling objects such as mugs, books, pens and tools.

Ultimately, the team hopes ATHENA will become a tool for those seeking to better understand how people move, learn new skills and recover from injury.

Now fully functional and freely available to researchers, ATHENA’s success moving from concept to real-world application was driven in part by the Connected Minds Prototyping Award.

The award is designed to support prototype developments aligned with the mandate of Connected Minds, a multi-million-dollar transdisciplinary research initiative led by 91��ɫ and Queen’s universities that explores the bridge between emerging technology, public health and social justice.

Funding for ATHENA enabled the team to develop portable versions of the system that can be transported and deployed outside the laboratory. These mobile setups have already been used in autism clinics in Israel and the GTA, expanding the tool’s reach beyond traditional research environments.

"The award was instrumental in moving ATHENA from a validated proof-of-concept into a tool that can actually be used out in the world," says Michaels.

Recipients of the award also receive support from other sources and partners. For ATHENA’s team, it fostered a collaboration with 91��ɫ's IP Innovation Clinic for guidance on developing a strategy to maximize adoption while keeping it freely available.

By remaining open source, affordable and developed in collaboration with the communities and clinics that use it, Michaels says ATHENA reflects Connected Minds' goal of creating accessible, socially responsible technology.

Through the prototyping process, the team learned that developing a useful technology requires more than proving it works.

"The hardest part of building a useful tool is often not the core idea, but making it robust, easy and trustworthy enough that other people will actually adopt it," says Michaels.

Navigating the challenges of moving from controlled laboratory environments to clinics and community settings, where lighting conditions vary, people move more freely and privacy considerations become essential, he says.

Because the tool operates entirely without bulky tracking equipment, it can capture movement in more natural settings and offer a more comfortable experience for participants. The comfort and ability to track naturalistic movements translates well with respect to ATHENA's most promising application in health care and clinical research.

An example of this is a collaboration with the Freud Lab at 91��ɫ where researchers are using ATHENA to study how children move during activities such as building with LEGO. The goal is to identify patterns that could support earlier and more objective identification of autism and other neurodevelopmental conditions.

Michaels says plans are underway to expand ATHENA's capabilities, such as integrating eye tracking, object tracking and multi-person tracking. And, by working with additional clinical and educational partners, the team hopes to broaden adoption while maintaining the platform's open-source model.

"Our goal is for ATHENA to become a broadly used, trusted and freely available resource that helps the research and clinical community better understand human dexterity and improve lives," says Michaels.

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This summer, YFile examines how 91��ɫ-led researchers move ideas into impact through the Connected Minds Prototyping Awards. This series shows innovation in practice – how socially responsible technologies are tested in real-world settings and how this work drives meaningful change.

Knee injuries and osteoarthritis are among the most common causes of pain, disability and reduced mobility. While knee braces are often prescribed to support recovery after injury or surgery, most provide only passive support and rely on subjective feedback to guide treatment decisions.

Patients and clinicians have limited tools to monitor changes in knee function between appointments, creating challenges when personalizing rehabilitation and tracking recovery progress.

At 91��ɫ, researchers from the and the are working together to develop an instrumented "smart" knee brace that could help monitor knee function beyond the clinic.

The project brings together William Gage, professor at the School of Kinesiology and Health Science in the Faculty of Health, Gerd Grau, associate professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and Garrett Melenka, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Combining expertise in biomechanics, engineering design, wearable technologies, sensing systems and prototype development, the team aims to create a knee brace that is scientifically precise and practical for real-world use.

“Our project was inspired by a simple question: What if we could continuously monitor knee function outside the clinic using a wearable device?” says Gage.

The Intelligent Knee Brace transforms a traditional support device into a wearable, smart monitoring system. By integrating sensors and machine-learning algorithms, it captures data on how people move in their daily activities, providing a more complete picture of mobility and recovery.

Gage and his team received a Phase 2 Connected Minds Prototyping Award, which provides up to $50,000 for full prototype development. The award program is part of the Connected Minds transdisciplinary research initiative at 91��ɫ that partners with Queen’s University to support the development of socially responsible technologies.

Backed by the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and a network of more than 50 industry, hospital and community partners, Connected Minds explores how humans and intelligent machines interact.

Through the prototyping award, Gage and his team have moved the Intelligent Knee Brace through prototype development, sensor integration and the early development of machine-learning capabilities. Now developed into a working model, the smart knee brace integrates wearable sensors capable of measuring lower limb movement.

“The award has created an environment where researchers and industry partners can work together to rapidly test ideas, identify challenges and refine solutions that have the potential to make a meaningful impact in health care,” says Gage.

From idea to development, the team has gained insights on how wearable sensing technologies and AI can be combined to generate meaningful information about human movement.

“While wearable sensors can collect large amounts of data, transforming that data into clinically useful insights is a much more complex challenge,” says Gage. “These findings are helping to shape the next generation of the prototype.”

The project has demonstrated the feasibility of integrating sensing technology into a knee brace and will advance into the testing phase and will begin the validation process with industry and technology partners.

Gage says the goal is to determine how accurately the brace captures knee motion compared with laboratory-based systems.

As technology continues to develop, the potential for this smart device to enhance health care extends beyond individual clinical assessments. By offering continuous monitoring of knee function, the brace can provide more personalized rehabilitation, track recovery following injury or surgery and detect early changes in mobility that may require intervention.

In medical settings, this means clinicians can access continuous data between appointments, offering a more holistic understanding of patient needs. Over time, this comprehensive data can help shift care from periodic assessments toward more proactive models of health management.

"Ultimately, our goal is to help clinicians make better-informed decisions while giving patients more personalized feedback about their recovery and mobility," says Gage.

The next phase of the project will focus on expanding participant testing, validating the system’s accuracy and refining the machine-learning models used to interpret movement data. The team also plans to explore how the brace performs in populations with knee osteoarthritis and other mobility-related conditions.

Building on the project’s early successes, Gage and his team hope to establish large-scale clinical studies and industry collaborations that will support the technology’s path toward real-world health care applications.

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