Sheridan receives funding for social innovation research

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC) posted an official award announcement online this week, celebrating the investment of over $76 million for 128 new applied research projects through the tri-agency College and Community Innovation Program and the College-Industry Innovation Fund from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. Sheridan was awarded two grants from the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) that will support collaborative social innovation research projects in partnership with community organizations.

Sheridan’s two awarded projects are “Community Ideas Factory: Behavioural Insights Unit” (awarded $360,000 for three years) and “Seniors Anti-bullying Implementation and Evaluation Project” (awarded $353,110 for three years). Both build on research that was previously funded through the CCSIF program.

The Seniors Anti-bullying Implementation and Evaluation Project is led by Dr. Kirsten Madsen, Professor in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHASS), with Co-Investigators Dr. Lia Tsotsos and Dr. Kate Dupuis from Sheridan’s Centre for Elder Research, in collaboration with Pat Spadafora, Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario and the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf. This research project will implement, evaluate and improve upon the anti-bullying strategies that were developed during the Seniors Bullying in Ontario Project (2017-2020). These strategies will be implemented and evaluated in eight seniors’ residences across Southern Ontario, helping to create evidence-based strategies and lay the foundation for more seniors’ anti-bullying initiatives.

The Community Ideas Factory project is led by Dr. Michael McNamara and Dr. Nathaniel Barr, Professors in FHASS, and aims to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing non-profits in the region through the development of creative solutions grounded in the science of human behaviour and decision making. The research team is a mixture of social scientists and artists, and the projects will feature a unique hybrid of science and art/design. BEworks, a world-leading behavioural science firm, will act as an industry partner contributing insights, and the artistic and design talent at Sheridan will help bring behavioural insights to life in creative ways.

“We’re thrilled to receive this funding that will assist us in continuing to showcase the breadth of creativity and innovation at Sheridan,” says Andrea England, Vice Provost, Research at Sheridan. “This new funding allows faculty, staff and students to collaborate with community partners on projects that will generate new forward-thinking ideas and strategies that will impact our society in beneficial ways.”

Congratulations to Sheridan’s award recipients. For more information on research and innovation at Sheridan, please visit research.sheridancollege.ca.