Published by Communications and Public Affairs (519) 824-4120, Ext. 56982 or 53338
News Release
October 29, 2004
Research in arts, social sciences receives funding boost
The University of Guelph has received more than $1.4 million for research, fellowships and graduate scholarships in the arts and humanities.
Twenty-eight U of G post-doctoral researchers and students will benefit from the funding announced this week by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The federal agency promotes university-based research and training that focuses on social, cultural and economic issues.
SSHRC supports research through post-doctoral and doctoral fellowships and through scholarships at the doctoral and master’s levels. Awards announced this week are for 2004, and dollar amounts range from $17,500 for master’s students up to $105,000 for doctoral scholarships.
“I want to offer my congratulations to the students who received these awards and to their advisers,” said Chris McKenna, associate vice-president (research). “The range of research interests that are being funded indicates that U of G continues to add breadth to its scholarly research in the arts and social sciences.”
Indeed, U of G’s funded research runs the gamut. Doctoral and post-doctoral fellowship projects include examining parents’ and adolescents’ perceptions of family time and work-family conflicts; studying the philosophers Edith Stein and Hedwig Conrad-Martius; and analysing fish poisonings and climate change in Cuba.
Graduate students received scholarships for projects that will explore topics such as aggressive behaviour in autistic children, hiring discrimination against gays and lesbians and therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.
“We are very proud of our students,” said Isobel Heathcote, dean of graduate studies, adding the funding will benefit both student research and the university’s graduate programs in the arts and social sciences. U of G has a high success rate in obtaining SSHRC scholarships, with as many as 85 per cent of doctoral applicants being approved, she said. Heathcote is also pleased that SSHRC has introduced master’s-level scholarships, saying the additional support will make it possible for even more of the best students to pursue advanced degrees.
One of those students is Julie Menten, who received a master’s scholarship to research First Nations rights of passage in adolescence and the search for belonging. “I feel honoured to be chosen and grateful and proud that my vision for research with First Nations communities was acknowledged with such a prestigious award,” she said. “It has inspired me to think about continuing with research at a PhD level, something I had not truly considered before. It has also provided me with an opportunity to reflect on how I could contribute to the betterment of our world through social science research.”
Another master’s award recipient, Dorota Turlejski, is studying the ethical implications of online couple and family therapy. She said the scholarship will allow her to dedicate the time and money her research deserves. “I am all the more motivated to pursue my chosen topic with sensitivity and integrity, as I am reminded of the social and humanitarian purpose of the award that the research I am involved in has been selected to represent.” Both Menten and Turlejski are in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition.
For media questions, contact Communications and Public Affairs: Lori Bona Hunt, (519) 824-4120, Ext. 53338, or Rachelle Cooper, Ext. 56982.
