From improving AI literacy and quality of life for adults with physical disabilities to the implications of social media on body image and finding effective pathways out of the Canadian criminal justice system, UBCO researchers are set to continue making positive impacts in society after being awarded nearly $1.5 million in new research funding today.

A total of 14 UBCO-led projects were awarded funds as a part of this morning’s announcement of investments into Canadian Research by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The funds were made available through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight and Insight Development Grants programs.

Insight Grants support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities, funding both emerging scholars and established scholars for research initiatives of two to five years.

Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages, enabling the development of new research questions and experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas. Funding is provided for short-term research development projects of up to two years that are proposed by individuals or teams.

More than $16 million in funding was awarded across both UBC campuses through the Insight, Insight Development and Partnership Development Grants programs.

Insight Grants

UBC Okanagan-led projects and programs

1. John-Tyler Binfet (Okanagan School of Education)
   Understanding the Uptake and Benefits of On-Campus Therapy Dog Programming
2. Diana Carter (Creative and Critical Studies)
   Gender-inclusive language usage and the barriers to implementation in French and Spanish language classrooms
3. Manfred Elfstrom (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science)
   Mobilizing the Mountains: Coal and Collective Action in Appalachia and North China
4. Kathleen Martin-Ginis (Health and Exercise Sciences)
   How does exercise improve quality of life/subjective well-being in adults with physical disabilities? Exploring the roles of quality-participation experiences and life-domain satisfaction
5. John Graham (Social Work)
   Improving the Bereavement Experience Among People Experiencing Homelessness in Canada
6. Ilya Parkins (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
   Sartorial Emotion Work and Social Reproduction
   $95,255

Insight Development Grants

UBC Okanagan-led projects and programs

1. Annamma Joy (Management)
   Beyond Prediction: Integrating Interpolation and Conceptual Blending to Better Understand Human Meaning-Making
2. Maya Libben (Psychology)
   What the Feed Feeds Back: Measuring Attention in Social Media Feeds and Its Implications for Body Image
3. David Macdonald (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science)
   Evaluating Effective Pathways out of the Canadian Criminal Justice System
4. Karis Shearer (Creative and Critical Studies)
   Kalevan Naiset: Reading epic poetry in Finnish migrant-settler communities in Northern Ontario.
5. Sarah Dow-Fleisner (Social Work)
   Parenting Following Childhood Family Adversity: How Yesterday’s Children Become Today’s Parents
6. Min Hu (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science)
   Unpacking the Gender Earnings Gap: A Systemic Analysis of Canadian STEM+ Academic Departments
7. Patricia Lasserre (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics)
   LandLearn: Collaborative XR and AI experiences for K-12 Wetland Education
8. Madeleine Ransom (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science)
   Advancing AI Literacy through Trustworthy AI

UBC Okanagan researchers will be able to make further advances in everything from AI communications and advanced wireless systems to quantum chemistry and climate-resilient buildings after being awarded more than $4.3 million in new research funding today.

The funds were made available through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Research Program, which supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects.

A total of 19 UBCO-led projects were awarded funding as part of an announcement of investments in Canadian research by the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions along with Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph.

Discovery research helps enable some of the most revolutionary scientific and engineering achievements and is NSERC’s largest area of investment.

More than $47 million was awarded to researchers across both UBC campuses through a combination of Individual Discovery Grants, Discovery Horizons grants (which support interdisciplinary research with at least one discipline outside natural sciences and engineering) and Research Tools and Instruments grants (which support the purchase of research equipment).

2026 Discovery Grants

UBC Okanagan-led projects and programs

The NSERC Discovery Grants program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals and recognizes the creativity and innovation at the heart of all research advances.

Discovery Launch Supplements provide timely resources to support early career researchers (ECRs) as they establish a Discovery Grant-funded research program. Projects marked with * below were awarded additional Discovery Launch Supplements of $12,500

1. Alam, Shahria (School of Engineering)
   Transformative Strategies for Infrastructure Resilience in a Changing World: Advancing Through Experimentation and Emerging Technologies
2. Barker, Philip (Biology)
   Deciphering TNF Receptor Signaling Strategies Conserved From Flies to Man
3. Brinkerhoff, Joshua (School of Engineering)
   Multiscale modelling of onshore and offshore wind farms
4. Cawood, Tarryn (Earth & Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography)
   Exploring the effects of deformation and metamorphism on sulfide-hosted trace elements*
5. Chaaban, Anas (School of Engineering)
   Towards AI-Native Communication Schemes Enabled by Stacked-Intelligent-Surface Neural Networks
6. DiLabio, Gino (Chemistry)
   Advancing Accurate and Efficient Quantum Chemistry Through Atom-Centered Potentials
7. Ens, Barrett (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics)
   Human-Centred Design for Adaptive Situated Computing Environments
8. Eves, Neil (School of Health and Exercise Science)
   Sex Differences in the Regulation of Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Interaction
9. Foulds, Ian (School of Engineering)
   Point-of-Care System for Quantifying Agglutination Based Biomarker Panels
10. Hewage, Kasun (School of Engineering)
    Planning and development of climate-resilient and occupant-centric net-zero-energy building clusters
11. Ielpi, Alessandro (Earth & Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography)
    Morphodynamic response of watersheds to environmental stresses
12. Islam, Muhammad (School of Health and Exercise Science)
    Impact of exercise and dietary manipulation on muscle and immune cell mitochondria*
13. Larson, Kyle (Earth & Environmental Sciences and Physical Geography)
    Exploring deformation, fluid movement and tectonic processes through beta-decay geochronology
14. Mahmoud, Soheil (Biology)
    Metabolism and Biotechnology of Plant Isoprenoids
15. Markley, Loïc (School of Engineering)
    Periodic Structures and Metasurfaces for Electromagnetic Wave Control and Channel Enhancement in Advanced Wireless Systems
16. McNeil, Christopher (School of Health and Exercise Science)
    Acute effects of cannabis on neuromuscular function / optimization of transcutaneous electric stimulation
17. Narayan, Runjhun (Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics)
    AI-Accelerated Aptamer Discovery for Precision Agri-Biosensors*
18. Szilagyi, Robert (Chemistry)
    Leveraging Synergy between Computations and Spectroscopy for Mechanistic Discovery
19. Tavakoli, Javad (Mathematics, Statistics and Physics )
    A Mathematical Framework for Queueing Systems and Robust Markov Decision Processes with Applications to Healthcare Operations

Chairs recognize emerging, established scholars

Scholars from across UBCO have been named the inaugural UBCO Impact Research Chairs.

Six UBC Okanagan scholars are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to exceptional research and creative excellence, having been named the inaugural UBC Okanagan Impact Research Chairs.

Administered and supported by the Office of the Vice President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI), the Impact Research Chairs (IRC) program was launched in November 2025. It is designed to expand impact from UBCO research, innovation and creative activity locally, nationally and globally, and to align with key areas of focus and priority at UBC and within individual faculties.

Those appointed as Chairs will serve five-year appointments in one of two tiers: emerging scholars or established scholars.

“This new program is intended to enhance and support research and creative activity, recognize excellence and position our researchers to become and remain leaders in their fields,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation. “Each of the individuals named today has demonstrated outstanding commitment to their work and alignment with university strategic and academic priorities—congratulations to everyone, I look forward to their ongoing success.”

Emerging scholars

Katrina Plamondon
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Applied Health Equity Science: From Knowledge to Action

As an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing at the Faculty of Health & Social Development, Dr. Plamondon’s expertise centres around how equity shapes health and social outcomes.

Focusing her work on processes and practices in global public health, health systems and health research systems, she works to engage people across sectors in advancing evidence-informed equity action for health. Her research brings diverse people together to create meaningful, collective solutions to complex challenges and helps bring a nursing voice to global public and population health.

“I’m thrilled to have been named a UBCO Impact Research Chair,” says Dr. Plamondon. “This appointment will help accelerate the scale and reach of my research program and enable UBCO to enhance its capacity to translate research into measurable equity impacts that promote population health and well-being.”

Qian Chen
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Digital and Robotic Construction

Through her research program, Dr. Chen works to transform construction practices through innovative digital construction and automation platforms, while at the same time inspiring communities and future engineers.

Dr. Chen, an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at UBCO’s School of Engineering, is revolutionizing the construction field as she applies advanced tools including artificial intelligence, robotics and digital twins to transform how buildings and infrastructure are designed, manufactured and delivered. The work is improving the speed, safety, affordability and sustainability of construction systems, with a major focus on housing supply and resilient infrastructure.

“I am driven by a simple, urgent question: how can we fundamentally change the way buildings are made so future prefabrication and construction methods become more rapid, high-quality and low-waste?” says Dr. Chen. “This Chair will enable me to find answers by supporting the building of a novel construction platform using robotics and AI that can be adopted, trusted and scaled among the construction and prefab manufacturing industry.”

Established scholars

Phil Ainslie
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Cerebrovascular, Exercise and Environmental Health

Dr. Ainslie is a Professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences within the Faculty of Health & Social Development. His research focuses on understanding how brain blood flow is regulated in health and disease, particularly in the context of a rapidly changing environment. Alongside laboratory-based studies, he leads high-altitude field expeditions to investigate acclimatization and adaptation, with a focus on Indigenous populations in Tibet, South America and Ethiopia.

Dr. Ainslie also collaborates with historically and systemically marginalized communities affected by extreme climates to study the physiological impacts of climate change. His work has earned numerous national and international awards, and he serves on several senior scientific leadership and policy advisory groups, contributing to tangible real-world outcomes.

“This appointment will support my research trajectory and enhance contributions to UBC and UBCO priorities,” he says. “I look forward to advancing innovative and transformative work in brain health and climate resilience.”

Megan Smith
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Societal Resilience and Immersive Futures

Working in the field of immersive computational art, science and technology, Dr. Smith, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies, is a new media artist focused on bridging physical computing with virtual and augmented reality environments.

Her research explores new systems for delivering data through a narrative format, where she uses elements like artificial intelligence, immersive technologies, climate communication, data visualization and creative practice to translate complex information into accessible and meaningful experiences. Through her work, she addresses societal challenges including climate change, environmental resilience, cultural memory, public safety and technological futures.

“My research advances the responsible development and application of emerging technologies by positioning them as sites of critical inquiry,” says Dr. Smith. “With this Chair appointment, I look forward to establishing UBC Okanagan as a leading site for art–science research where interdisciplinary collaboration can generate new approaches to technological innovation, environmental understanding and public discourse.”

Shawn Wilson
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge Systems

As a leading global authority on Indigenous research methods, Dr. Wilson has enabled some of the world’s most urgent issues—including climate change, data sovereignty and artificial intelligence—to be understood and discussed through the lens of Indigenous knowledge.

Through his research, he shows how knowledge grounded in place can inform global perspectives and priorities. His book, Research is Ceremony, discusses Indigenous research methodologies and is currently used in more than 250 university courses around the world. He also helped the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) develop the first Indigenous Scholar program, bringing never-before-seen recognition and representation of Indigenous science to Canada’s federal research mandate.

“This Impact Research Chair will enable me to engage further with Indigenous knowledge across a number of academic and societal contexts,” says Dr. Wilson, a Professor of Indigenous Studies in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. “I’m honoured to have been selected and excited to build on existing collaborations with local syilx and Indigenous colleagues, as well as my national and international partners.”

Michael Russello
UBCO Impact Research Chair in Conservation Genomics

Dr. Michael Russello, Professor of biology in the Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science, investigates how biodiversity— the enormous variety of life across species, genes and ecosystems —is affected by human-caused changes to environments.

As these changes continue to increase, he works at the genetic level to understand how biodiversity is generated, maintained and lost. Dr. Russello’s research impacts the foundational understanding of how species adapt to changing environments and pushes the boundaries of genomics for addressing real-world conservation issues. His research has informed wildlife, fisheries and invasive species management in more than 15 countries on four continents for a diverse range of species, including Galápagos giant tortoises, Pacific salmon, North American pikas and numerous Canadian species-at-risk.

“Human changes to the environment pose major threats to global biodiversity and are directly linked to elevated extinction rates. Combating these threats requires innovative solutions that harness improved knowledge and emerging technologies,” he says. “This Impact Research Chair will enable me to develop novel genomic tools that prioritize speed, accuracy and portability to help address environmental threats to our region, country and beyond.”

Dr. Pakpour and Dr. Noonan’s research teams were each awarded $600,000 over three years for their investigations into the effects of plastics on animals and ecosystems.

Congratulations to Associate Professor Dr. Sepideh Pakpour and Assistant Professor Dr. Michael Noonan who were both awarded research funding through Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)‘s Plastics Science and Innovation for a Cleaner and More Sustainable Future competition.

Dr. Pakpour and her team are investigating the health impacts of nanoplastics in mammals and Dr. Noonan and team are mapping terrestrial microplastic pollution and wildlife exposure across Canadian ecosystems. Combined the two teams were awarded $1.2 million.

This ongoing UBCO research is helping generate evidence that can advance scientific knowledge and inform the development of evidence-based policies and regulations on plastics.

Dr. Jessica Chan, Assistant Professor in the Okanagan School of Education, is the SSHRC Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Language, Literacy and Early Learning.

Dr. Jessica Chan remembers what it felt like to move between two worlds.

Growing up, she navigated two languages and two cultures–learning English at school while keeping her home language and heritage alive with her family. Her parents, both immigrants to Canada, held education close. It was, she says, a way of discovering the world and opening doors that hadn’t been available to them.

Her experience inspired her to dedicate her career to understanding how language and literacy develop in children from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, including those who have more than one language and those at risk for language-based disorders, such as dyslexia and developmental language disorder.

Her work received national recognition today as she was named UBC Okanagan’s newest Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Language, Literacy and Early Learning (Tier II).

“As an early career researcher, receiving the CRC is a significant achievement,” said Dr. Chan. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to advance knowledge about how children engage with literacy learning, and further the development of approaches to address literacy challenges for young learners that considers their learning contexts and who they are, including their family literacy experiences.”

Within Canada, many students experience difficulties with oral language and literacy skills, and this can affect their ability to learn, communicate and access future employment opportunities. To help address these challenges, Dr. Chan’s research also seeks to better understand how language skills shape mathematical learning and what role the home environment plays in academic success.

“Literacy is the gateway to learning,” she says. “One of my goals is to help empower families, educators and community members with the knowledge and understanding about language and literacy development to make shifts in their contexts that would meaningfully change literacy outcomes for their child or the children they work with.”

Dr. Chan has also received past funding through the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) and the B.C. Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) to launch her Reading, Language and Mathematics (ReaLM) Lab.

The newly announced CRC funding will support cross-disciplinary collaborations with national and international researchers as well as the growth and development of future ReaLM Lab initiatives. This includes training junior scholars in the research process and contributing to the translation of knowledge to practice for families, educators and community leaders.

The Canada Research Chairs Program was created by the federal government in 2000 to invest in the researchers shaping the future of Canadian scholarship. The program is designed to attract and retain some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds at Canadian universities.

A total of 11 new CRC appointments and three CRC renewals were made across both UBC campuses today as part of a larger funding announcement by Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions. The announcement also included $3 million in support for 12 UBC projects from the New Frontiers in Research Fund, including two projects at UBCO.

New Frontiers in Research Fund Exploration – 2025
UBCO funded projects

Dr. Robert Godin (Department of Chemistry)
How does high-tech processing redefine the concept of terroir for wines produced in smoky regions?

Dr. Gabrielle Legault (Department of Community, Culture and Global Studies)
Beyond Biopiracy: Creating Ethical Frameworks for Indigenous Engagement in Indigenous Knowledge-Derived Therapeutics

UBC Okanagan researchers received a boost today as the Government of BC announced nearly $750,000 in infrastructure support for research projects on campus.

The funds come as part of the latest round of BC Knowledge Development Fund (BCKDF) awards.

Two UBCO researchers from the School of Engineering received support for their projects.

Assistant Professor Dr. Lisa Tobber received infrastructure funding to research the capacity of building components, substructures and sub-assemblies to resist earthquakes and other destructive forces like wind loads. The project will help increase understanding of the behavior of buildings in BC and provide engineers with data needed for the rehabilitation of structures to avoid any substantial damages due to potential natural disasters.

Dr. Alyse Kiesser, also an Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering, received support for research infrastructure dedicated to investigating the impacts of climate change on the resilient properties of microbial systems, the results of which will contribute to estimations of the impact of climate change on microbial carbon storage, greenhouse gas production and consumption.

“At UBC Okanagan, our researchers are driving projects that have direct implications for the lives of those in BC’s Interior and far beyond,” said Dr. Lesley Cormack, Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of UBC Okanagan. “This round of support from the BCKDF is pivotal in bolstering our research endeavours, from creating resilient infrastructure to withstand natural disasters to paving the way for greener, sustainable solutions for the future. We are immensely grateful to the provincial government for supporting the transformative work happening on our campus.”

A combined $1.5 million in funding was announced for seven research projects across UBC, and a total of $2.5 million in infrastructure for 16 research projects at five BC universities in the latest round of BCKDF support.

Read the announcement.

Experts recognized for work from physical activity strategies for the physically disabled to the development of better batteries

Two noted UBCO scholars have received prestigious honours from the country’s top academic body recognizing career achievement in the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences.

Dr. Kathleen Martin Ginis has been named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) and Dr. Jian Liu named as a Member of the RSC’s College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists.

The scholars are among 10 new UBC Fellows and Members elected to the RSC this year. Recognition by the RSC is one of the highest honours an individual can achieve.

A COMMUNITY RECOGNITION

Dr. Martin Ginis, a Professor in the Department of Medicine and in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences, focuses on understanding and changing physical activity behaviour, with a particular interest in physical activity among people with spinal cord injury and other types of physical disabilities.

For her, the Royal Society honour is recognition of not just her work, but of the collective effort from entire communities of people.

“There is so much community in what I do: the community of my students, the spinal cord injury community, the Kelowna community, the broader Canadian and international communities who’ve engaged in this work. I’m truly honoured, but this isn’t about me. It’s about all of us.”

As the international authority on physical activity behaviour-change interventions and psycho-social outcomes in people with disabilities, Dr. Martin Ginis’s innovations in theory, measurement, intervention design and knowledge translation are used worldwide.

In addition to academia, her research also frequently appears in the media, having been featured everywhere from The Globe & Mail and The New York Times to Men’s Health Magazine and “O” The Oprah Magazine.

“I think it’s a travesty when research findings don’t make it beyond a shelf in a library. I believe we have an obligation to get that research into people’s hands, so it’s gratifying seeing the work used around the world,” she says.

Among a number of factors, the unique environment at UBCO and the campus leadership’s approach to research have been key contributors to her success, says Dr. Martin Ginis.

“There’s a sense of support from leaders for us to take chances, to do things differently—a willingness to think about change,” she says. “As scientists and researchers, we feel that energy. It’s what makes UBCO so special.”

Altogether, the recognition is an incredibly rewarding experience.

“I am honoured. It’s incredible. This is recognition that the hard work and sacrifice have added up to something bigger than I ever could have imagined when I started out 25 years ago.”

BETTER BATTERIES

Dr. Jian Liu, an Associate Professor in the School of Engineering, is creating solutions for clean energy through innovative advancements in next-generation battery development. He is an internationally renowned emerging leader in energy storage technologies.

The honour of being inducted into the Royal Society of Canada is deeply meaningful to Dr. Liu personally, for his research, and for the opportunities it will provide to his team.

“I feel really excited and honoured to be inducted into this family of top Canadian scholars. This award helps us to build connection with other researchers and bring awareness of our research to community and industry. It helps not only my own work but also strengthens the research program of the Battery Innovation cluster.”

With increasing demand for environmentally responsible energy sources, Dr. Liu says his fellow researchers as well as government and industry partners are optimistic about sustainable energy solutions not only on the ground, but in the skies.

“The goal is to transition from carbon-intensive energy to renewable energy. Sustainable battery technology will play a role in transportation for vehicles and electric flights. Small passenger planes are the first frontier, and I look forward to the technology being developed for commercial flights.”

The future of clean energy is promising, and the many applications and need for renewable energy sources are good news, says Dr. Liu. The fact that there is very little battery manufacturing capacity in North America means there are opportunities for Canada to lead in the clean tech sector.

“We have an opportunity to create a local supply chain to build and distribute batteries. My hope is to contribute to the creation of a circular battery economy that has global impacts.”

Phil Barker, Vice Principal, Research and Innovation says the honours are a sign of UBC Okanagan’s ever-increasing research strength and expertise.

“I’m proud to see these well-deserved recognitions by the Royal Society of Canada. The outstanding work of Dr. Martin Ginis and Dr. Liu speaks for itself and reflects UBCO’s excellence in research and our expertise in a number of important fields. I congratulate them on this significant honour and look forward to their continued contributions to advancing knowledge and making a difference in our region and our world.”

Researcher Mary Clare Kennedy from UBC Okanagan’s Faculty of Health and Social Development was today named the Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Substance Use, Policy and Practice.

Dr. Kennedy’s research examines the social-structural aspects of health among people who use drugs and evaluates the implementation and effectiveness of novel harm reduction interventions, including safe supply programs and innovations in supervised consumption service delivery.

She is currently co-leading the scientific evaluation of the Safer Alternatives for Emergency Response (SAFER) initiative. This Health Canada-funded safe supply pilot program in Vancouver aims to reduce overdose risk through the prescription of pharmaceutical alternatives to the unregulated drug supply, and serves as a low-barrier point of access to the continuum of care for people who use drugs.

Dr. Kennedy is also currently co-leading a CIHR-funded study investigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on supervised consumption service delivery, access and outcomes in Vancouver and Surrey.

The Canada Research Chairs Program was established by the federal government in 2000 to promote excellence and innovation in research by rewarding the country’s leading academics and attracting the best research minds in the world to study at Canadian universities. Chair holders are some of the world’s most accomplished and promising minds.

The announcement came as part of a larger funding announcement by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

SSHRC FUNDING ALSO ANNOUNCED

In addition to the new research chair, seven UBC Okanagan researchers and their collaborators were collectively awarded nearly $350,000 in funding today from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council‘s Insight Development Grants.

Read the SSHRC announcement

Insight Development Grants support research in its initial stages. The grants enable the development of new research questions, as well as experimentation with new methods, theoretical approaches and/or ideas. Funding is provided for short-term research development projects of up to two years that are proposed by individuals or teams.

Researchers will use the funding to explore everything from experimental digital cities to the impact of evolving public discourse on the perceived credibility of sexual assault disclosures.

SSHRC Insight Development Grant recipients

Jonathan Cinnamon (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
The experimental digital city: Learning from the Kelowna model of smart urban innovation
Co-applicant: Agnieszka Leszczynski (Western University)

Manfred Elfstrom (Economics, Philosophy and Political Science)
Mobilizing the Mountains: Natural Resources and Popular Protest in Appalachia and North China

Roberto Filippello  (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
Queer Threads: Critical Fashion Practices in Contemporary Palestine (2010-2022)

Gabrielle Legault  (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
The Strength of Our Ancestors: A Youth-led Investigation of Urban Indigenous Identities
UBC Collaborator: Donna Kurtz  (Nursing UBCO)
Collaborator: Kendra Langrish

John Lyon (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
Tense and Aspect in Nsyilxcn: Linguistic and Syilx Perspectives on Meaning
UBC Co-applicants: Jeannette Armstrong (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
Christine Schreyer (Community, Culture and Global Studies)
Collaborators: Maxine Baptiste (En’owkin Centre), Tracey Bonneau

Emily Murphy (Creative and Critical Studies)
Modernist Remediations: Embodiment, Technology, and Cultural Memory
Collaborator: Lydia Vermeyden (St. Francis Xavier University)

Leanne Ten Brinke (Psychology)
Emotional Survivor Effect: How Evolving Public Discourse Impacts the Perceived Credibility of Sexual Assault Disclosures
Co-applicant: Alysha Baker (Okanagan College)
Collaborator: Emily Lloyd (University of Denver)

Federal research funding agency head, Alejandro Adem, inspired by ongoing research progress and impact

Past successes and future opportunities were the main topics of discussion when Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) president, Alejandro Adem, visited UBC Okanagan.

The recent day-long trip marked the first time an NSERC president has visited the campus. Adem reached out to UBCO to arrange the visit, having been impressed by the university’s research progress in the fields of engineering and natural sciences.

“I wanted the opportunity to hear first-hand from leaders, researchers and students, and to see the campus for myself because I’ve been impressed with how it has developed over the years,” said Adem. “The excellent partnerships that have been cultivated and the vibrant group of young researchers are yielding terrific results.”

UBCO is one of the fastest-growing research campuses in Canada, with research activity increasing more than four-fold since 2015.

Total research funding increased from $11 million in 2015 to more than $46 million in 2022, and is projected to increase to more than $60 million by 2023.

UBCO has attracted more than $9 million in NSERC grants this year alone. The federal funding organization is fuel in the tank for UBCO science and engineering research, said Vice-Principal of Research and Innovation Phil Barker.

“We’re working hard to respond to shifting programs and have been actively partnering with Indigenous communities, municipalities and private industry to perform research that is relevant to our stakeholders,” said Barker. “With NSERC’s support, the work is having a tremendous, real-world impact.”

UBCO Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Lesley Cormack reinforced that past successes at UBCO have positioned Okanagan researchers well for the future.

“We are rapidly gaining speed and are poised to steadily grow research activity and, importantly, our impact and contributions in the communities we serve,” she said. “We have the potential to change the conversation and make leaps in a number of areas, including clean technology and agritech. We’re fulfilling our promise to become a great research university in the BC interior. We are just getting started and are excited about how much more we can do.”

Over the course of the day, Adem held round-tables with researchers and students and discussed progress on EDI initiatives. Visits with UBCO’s Bioreactor Technology Group and researchers at the Innovation Precinct provided a first-hand perspective on the work being conducted.

As a world-class university in the heart of Okanagan valley, UBCO is having a tremendous impact on the region that is only going to increase in the coming years, said Adem.

“I’m a big admirer of what UBCO has done in a short amount of time,” he said. “The acceleration is hard to miss – I look forward to what’s ahead.”

The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced today that six UBCO research projects would collectively receive more than $800,000 in infrastructure funding.

Funded projects include everything from next generation video surveillance for environmental monitoring to optimization of electron-beam facilities for earth materials research.

Funds were received through the Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF), which helps outstanding researchers acquire the state-of-the-art labs, equipment and facilities they need to continue their work and make discoveries that will have an impact on Canadians.

UBC Vancouver received funding for 14 projects, bringing the total number of funded UBC projects to 20.

In total, more than $64 million was announced to support 251 research infrastructure projects at 40 universities across Canada.

Read the full announcement

UBCO CFI-funded research projects

Ultrafast Laser System for Terahertz Development in Food Applications – Chris Collier, School of Engineering

Laboratory of Next Generation Video Surveillance for Environmental Monitoring – Shan Du, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics and Statistics

Microfabrication for Next-generation Thin Film Solar Cells, Ian Foulds, Alexander Uhl, School of Engineering

Next-generation Pulmonary In Vitro 3D Models to Unravel the Role of Cell-cell and Multiorgan Crosstalk in Lung Disease – Emmanuel Osei, Biology

Optimization of Electron-beam Facilities for Earth Materials Research – Brendan Dyck, Earth, Environmental and Geographic Sciences

Infrastructure for Theoretical and Experimental Iron-sulphur Laboratory at UBC Okanagan – Robert Szilagyi, Chemistry