Fifteen professors from the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies (LA&PS) have been successfully awarded more than $2 million in Insight Grant funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) as part of the 2019-20 SSHRC Insight Grant competition.

The Insight Grant program awarded a total of $91 million to more than 1,253 researchers from 60 different Canadian institutions. These funds are meant to support projects that focus on building an understanding about individuals and societies, and establish deeper knowledge of social, cultural, economic, environmental and technological issues.

Overall, York University received 29 Insight Grants – with LA&PS researchers leading more than half of these projects. The scope of research covers a diverse range of fields, themes, and disciplines.

“These projects are stellar examples of how we aspire, through our research, to better understand the human condition and to employ the knowledge we gain in the service and betterment of society. I want to wish all recipients every success as they move forward with their projects” said Amir Asif, vice-president research and innovation.

The projects undertaken by the funded researchers will address topics such as:

• social media and mental well-being;
• how climate risks affect banks’ financial losses, liquidity and decisions related to loans; and
• transitional housing and permanent housing for homeless people.

SSHRC is dedicated to supporting an inclusive and diverse research environment. Of the funded researchers, 644 (51 per cent) self-identified as women, 34 (three per cent) as Indigenous peoples, 168 (13 per cent) as members of visible minorities, and 40 (three per cent) as persons with disabilities.

See the complete list of Insight Grant recipients.

Over the next two weeks, LA&PS will highlight some of these funded projects in more detail – look for the #InsightOut series on our website and on social media!