SSHRC-funded projects on addressing a rapidly changing global context

Synopsis:

Reverberations from conflicts in the Middle East are being felt around the world, and radicalization and religious and sectarian violence bring concerns for Canada’s future. For Canada, with its diaspora communities, to prosper in the 21st century, we urgently need to understand how terrorism and radicalization play out here, in ideological rhetoric and in actions.

This project will examine and analyze the quality of current and recent studies, shedding light on the state of Canadian knowledge about both domestic and imported Jihadist ideologies and activities. It will explore themes like the situation in the Middle East following the failure of the Arab Spring; the spread of terrorism in the secularized West; and how to balance fundamental liberties in Canada with increased security and protection.

The project results will enable Canadian decision-makers to know more about the dynamics and impacts of terrorism and radicalization, so they can develop more effective policies to counter these threats to Canada’s communal well-being.

“This synthesis aims to strengthen the decision-making process in Canada, increasing its transparency and rigorousness, and grounding it in factual analysis, to ensure a solid future for Canadian democracy.”

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Synopsis:

Countries around the world are figuring out ways to lower the carbon footprint of their economies. They are creating new “green jobs,” developing technologies that pollute less, and changing production methods in existing sectors of the economy. However, women stand to benefit less than men from these shifts, because they are underrepresented in sectors that are critical to the “green economy.”

This project will gather and synthesize literature on promising programs and policies that promote women’s employment in manufacturing, construction and transportation, both in Canada and elsewhere. With the results, the research team aims to inform gender-sensitive employment policies in Canada and globally, so that women can better participate in the three focus sectors.

This work builds on a previous knowledge synthesis project on promoting women’s employment in the renewable energy sector. The overall aim is to generate information that will help make the green economy more socially inclusive, by addressing gender equity issues.

“In the absence of appropriately targeted training, education, apprenticeships, employment placement, financial tools and supportive social policies, the green economy may exacerbate existing gender inequities and hinder poverty alleviation goals.”

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Synopsis:

Canada has recently shifted its immigration policies toward making entry easier for foreign-trained professionals. Many entrants have professional training in fields regulated in Canada, meaning they need to have their credentials recognized here, and to get any necessary licenses and registrations. Once in Canada, many of these professionals are not able to practice in these regulated careers. The resulting loss to Canada, in both human capital and economic activity, is major.

One reason foreign-trained professionals face difficulty is lack of co-ordination between services and institutions, such as government ministries, regulatory bodies and training centres. This project aims to identify policies and practices, across a number of sectors, to help improve immigrants’ opportunities to practice their regulated profession. Drawing on practices and policies from Canada and abroad, the researchers will propose recommendations, while reaffirming the essential role of public protection played by regulatory and licensing organizations.

“This synthesis will make it possible to develop new strategies that ease entry into their practice in Canada for professionals trained abroad.”

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Synopsis:

More critical attention is being paid in Canada to the financial and employment situation of “millennials”—those born between about 1980 and 2000. Canada’s population is aging, and its population growth is slowing, so these young people are critical to the country’s economic health, stability and future potential.

Echoing debates about Canadian millennials, this project will examine their levels of indebtedness, labour market challenges and financial literacy. It will compile and synthesize Canadian commentary on these topics, and identify where further research is needed.

This knowledge synthesis is a crucial first step in helping various stakeholders better understand the financial challenges that millennials face, and how these can be addressed. This work will help in preparing millennials for future economic instability and financial shocks.

“In the context of slow or stagnant population growth and an aging population, the financial position of millennials is critical to the economic future of Canada.”

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Synopsis:

Pundits and scholars are scrambling to make sense of the overtly emotional rise of right-wing populism in global politics. One clue lies in the shifting relationship between information and communication technologies (ICTs) and media, and democratic values and civic participation. Key to these shifts is the “post-truth” era, where objective facts influence public opinion less strongly than appeals to emotion and belief.

This project will develop a framework and research agenda for understanding the relationship between emotions, ICTs and politics. It will draw on digital media studies and the growing field of “affect studies,” to examine collective emotion, the evolving media landscape, and the interplay between emotion and information warfare.

Through this project, the researchers hope to generate knowledge that will help position Canada as a leader in protecting democratic values and institutions from the threats posed by these developments.

“The pressing question of citizens’ trust in the processes and institutions of democracy urgently requires a deepened understanding of the role of emotions in forming political identities and social movements.”

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Synopsis:

With Canada’s aging population, planning is underway to support aging adults to live in their own homes and communities independently and comfortably. Intelligent assistive technologies are key to this support. They are technological devices that help with performing everyday activities, and can understand users’ commands and requests or operate autonomously.

This project aims to address how the concept of trust is understood and valued by older adults in relation to intelligent assistive technology. Use of intelligent assistive technologies is a growing area in both research and commercialization. Not enough is known yet, though, about how older adults learn to trust and build relationships with these devices. For instance, what functions or behaviours does a device need to have for a user to consider it trustworthy? These are important issues to understand to ensure successful adoption and use.

The research team will share their results with industry professionals, care providers, older adults, and government, in order to advance both discussions and innovations in the field of technology-and-aging.

“By better understanding how these forms of intelligent assistive technologies can serve older adult populations, Canadians will be better prepared to care for their aging loved ones, by supporting their independence and autonomy within society.”

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Synopsis:

Many actors in Canada are promoting greater engagement of Indigenous peoples in energy development, especially through partnerships with domestic and international partners. This project focuses on these types of partnerships in the bioenergy industry, where fuel and energy are drawn from biological sources such as wood fibre.

More clarity is needed about perspectives on bioenergy partnerships with Indigenous peoples, and how foreign and domestic interests interact to shape these arrangements. Drawing on “framing theory,” this knowledge synthesis seeks to strengthen understanding of the diverse beliefs and perceptions about bioenergy held by Indigenous leaders and communities, policy-makers, researchers, and industry. The work will involve a literature review focused on perceptions about bioenergy issues, as well as events where stakeholders can share their insights on new bioenergy partnerships, and discuss the emerging research findings.

This research will help Indigenous groups determine objectives and approaches for bioenergy partnerships. It will also promote an understanding of how domestic and international actors can collaborate effectively and respectfully to strengthen bioenergy initiatives.

“This project will create a nuanced, yet reliable, knowledge base to help foster and maximize innovation for community economic development, and to make Canada a global bioenergy leader.”

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Synopsis:

Government and actors in the private and not-for-profit sectors are increasingly turning to social innovation to tackle social inequalities and build resilience. Understanding of social innovation has come a long way in the past decade, but we need to know more about the most successful strategies for fostering effective collaborations, and about how to best measure their impacts.

This project seeks to enhance understanding of social innovation partnerships in particular, by synthesizing existing academic literature and reports from industry. It will focus on social innovation definitions, models, partnerships and collaborations; and on how the impacts of social innovation are measured. It will also map the networks and stakeholders involved in social innovation in Canada, and emphasize multi- and cross-sector ways of working.

The research team will share insights from the project with postsecondary institutions, social innovation networks and organizations, government, and not-for-profit organizations. The aim of the project is to advance knowledge, policy and practice in social innovation, so pressing social issues can be better addressed.

“Understanding social innovation concepts, stakeholders and processes is critical to enable Canada to thrive in an interconnected world and evolving global landscape.”

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Synopsis:

The failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change has been recognized as an incredible risk to the global economy. The international community is responding, with recent developments including the 2015 Paris Agreement, and innovations in energy production. Meanwhile, the environmental effects of climate change increasingly transcend borders. We need to know more about how Canada will be affected by international developments due to climate change.

Through an extensive literature review, this project will identify strengths and gaps in knowledge about the transnational impacts of global climate change, and their potential impacts on Canada. The knowledge synthesis will examine the possible consequences for Canada of the international response to the Paris Agreement, and investigate how energy innovations may affect Canada’s role as a producer and user of fossil fuels. Overall, international developments could have significant implications for Canada’s trade and foreign relations, which must be factored into our country’s climate change strategies.

The research team will also identify research priorities in this area that could help Canada’s government and business community better adapt to the rapidly evolving environmental, economic and policy context.

“This project will identify existing knowledge in the key areas in which Canada could be vulnerable to impacts of climate change abroad, and will outline possible pathways, to determine what else needs to be learned, and what will have to remain uncertain in coming decades.”

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Synopsis:

Many of the struggles that Aboriginal communities face in Canada can be linked to their underrepresentation in higher education. Members are disproportionately denied the better employment opportunities, coping skills and civic participation that continued education fosters. Improving Aboriginal Peoples’ access to higher education would contribute to improving both their well-being and Canada’s global economic competitiveness.

This project will review current knowledge about Aboriginal education—focusing on challenges and barriers to access—and how governments and civil society are addressing those concerns. The researchers will look at opportunities to integrate Aboriginal education into Canada’s global economic strategies, and whether such an approach would make Aboriginal communities more prosperous.

The research team aims to identify policies and practices that could reduce barriers to higher education for Aboriginal Peoples, including, especially, strategies that could be implemented in co-operation, rather than conflict, with Aboriginal communities.

“We are well advised, for both moral and economic reasons, to explore strategies and policies to improve Aboriginal access to education in this country.”

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Synopsis:

Over the past decade, universities have seen an increase in the number of students with disabilities or requiring accommodation, particularly in nursing sciences. Some programs have opted for more inclusive approaches for courses and training activities, so more students can complete their degrees. These approaches integrate a broad range of strategies to respond to different learning needs and styles. However, many of the strategies used in nursing sciences have not yet been documented or assessed in a systematic way.

This project aims to evaluate the impacts of inclusive teaching, training and assessment strategies in nursing sciences programs. The research team will do a systematic, criteria-based review of recent articles drawn from a number of databases. Their analysis will focus on both quantitative and qualitative information about the effects these inclusive strategies have on students’ learning and success.

The resulting knowledge synthesis will generate recommendations for teaching approaches in university programs that reflect the values of an inclusive and diverse society.

“This project addresses the challenge of sustainable inclusion. Our goal is to understand which inclusion strategies decrease marginalization for disabled students in professional training programs.”

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Synopsis:

The migration of youth out of rural communities in Canada is a pressing concern. This is particularly true in the Atlantic provinces, where the shrinking and aging of populations threaten the survival of entire communities. A deeper understanding is needed of the factors behind young people’s mobility, and the effectiveness of policies to address it.

This project will synthesize the recent research about youth out-migration, drawing on both Canadian and prominent international research. There is no shortage of opinion on this issue, so an important element of this study will be to account for disagreements and contradictions in available literature. The project will also inform a larger program of research on how rural people think about the connections between education, work, consumption and the viability of their hometowns.

This synthesis aims to help guide evidence-based, context-specific policies at federal, provincial and municipal levels. Results will also be shared with community and not-for-profit organizations. The research team will, in addition, examine opportunities for new collaborations among researchers, governments and rural communities.

“Communities, their governments, and subject experts recognize that youth out-migration demands some kind of directed action … but there is, as yet, no co-ordinated response, or even a consensus about what, if anything, should be done.”

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Synopsis:

Young people are increasingly seizing opportunities offered by the Internet and digital technologies to be active and engaged citizens. A new, socially conscious, global-thinking generation is emerging. But, digital technology also poses risks, including cyberbullying, fraud, and exposure to violent and malevolent messaging. Education systems have an important role in equipping young people to navigate the possibilities and challenges of the digital world.

This project aims to address a shortage of knowledge about how youth acquire digital citizenship skills. It will synthesize research about the challenges involved in their engagement with the online world, the skills they need, and the teaching practices that foster those competencies. The overall goal is to know more about the qualities of education likely to nurture the growth of active, engaged and responsible young digital citizens who contribute to a better future for Canada and the world.

“Thanks to rapid advances in digital technology and the Internet, the world is wide open for youth who want to take the opportunities to be active and engaged global citizens, able to contribute, fundamentally and effectively, to solving global problems.”

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Synopsis:

New technologies have made it possible for more Canadians to work in short-term, on-demand, freelance contracts, referred to as “gigs.” The digital ride-sharing platform Uber is a well-known example. Gigs give workers new opportunities and flexibility, but the work is unpredictable, often poorly paid, and provides no benefits. These circumstances can increase social inequalities, as they disproportionately affect the most vulnerable people.

The research team will assess the state of knowledge about Canadian workers in the gig or “sharing” economy. They will examine Canadian, international and cross-sectoral literature for answers to two main questions: First, how does working in the gig economy affect individuals, households and communities? Second, what policies and practices have been put in place elsewhere to address the vulnerabilities of gig workers?

The aim of this synthesis is to generate knowledge to support gig workers in Canada. The project will highlight the particular experiences of young people, women, immigrants and older workers. The research team will engage stakeholders from across different sectors, through a workshop and related knowledge translation activities.

“This ‘gigification’ of the labour market has generated opportunities for flexible, accessible work and business innovation, but it also creates significant economic, social and personal challenges for workers.”

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Synopsis:

Economic activity and innovation are increasingly concentrated in geographic “clusters” of companies. For economic competitiveness, these clusters need to continually recruit and retain migrants with expertise in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Federal and provincial governments have launched programs to strengthen recruitment and retention of these workers.

This project aims to better understand the strategies that clusters have used to attract and retain STEM talent, and the role that government programs play in supporting these efforts. It will critically assess existing academic research and data, with a focus on comparing Canada’s leading clusters in three provinces. It will explore how actors use these government programs, and how they lobby for policy improvements. With the goal of learning from elsewhere, the synthesis will also compare practices for recruiting and retaining STEM specialists in the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Results from this synthesis will inform policy-related discussions on potential reforms and new programs, to strengthen the management of STEM migration in Canada. Results will be shared with private sector, government, lobbying and activism stakeholders.

“As the ‘global race for talent’ intensifies, clusters face considerable challenges in generating, attracting and retaining sufficient STEM labour. A self-declared ‘global leader in managed migration,’ Canada should be well positioned to meet this challenge.”

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Synopsis:

The Government of Canada has initiated an important and overdue dialogue with Canada’s First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples about international trade. Indigenous peoples are both active participants in global markets and stewards of natural resources and practices that can be negatively affected by trade rules. Trade agreements impact their livelihoods and treaty rights in significant ways, often without their consent.

This knowledge synthesis seeks to contribute to this emerging discussion by surveying research on Indigenous concerns about trade. It also asks how their interests can be incorporated into Canada’s new “progressive trade agenda,” so it can be inclusive. Such incorporation is challenging, because priorities and preferences in relation to trade are not necessarily common across Indigenous communities.

This project will help accelerate important dialogues among researchers, Indigenous stakeholders, and government officials about these issues. It will also help generate policy tools that can effectively serve both Indigenous and other Canadian interests.

“International trade is increasingly implicated in supporting sustainable, resilient and prosperous Indigenous communities. The government of Canada’s ‘progressive trade agenda’ must be inclusive and attentive to Canada’s diversity.”

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Synopsis:

In December 2016, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission declared that fixed and mobile wireless broadband access was a basic service, "vital to Canada's economic, social, democratic, and cultural fabric." Canada has made significant progress in expanding broadband infrastructure, but many rural areas across the country continue to face unaffordable services, limited bandwidth capacity, and a lack of digital literacy training and technical support.

This synthesis project will address the lack of comprehensive reviews of rural broadband adoption strategies. To do so, researchers will conduct a knowledge synthesis of existing literature and organizing programs and interventions, based on their contributions to the seven community capitals: financial, political, social, human, cultural, natural and built.

The research team will provide sustainable recommendations to academic, government and resident audiences, and will publish its findings in an investment guidebook for rural community decision-makers.

“Many rural communities across Canada have a wealth of existing assets and broadband resources that can be leveraged in ways that support adoption and shape these communities’ digital futures.”

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Synopsis:

Canada's key security alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), has been radically transformed over the past couple of decades. NATO has struggled to respond to Russia's military action in the Ukraine, and to its aggressive use of hard and soft power outside its borders. The need for NATO to “get Russia right” has become a dominant challenge for the organization, for Canada within NATO and for global security.

Through a review of academic and policy literature, this study will explore NATO's responses to the new, multifaceted threat of Russia, focusing on implications for Canada's military and foreign policy commitments. The research team will pay particular attention to NATO's military and political responses since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Results from the review will help policy-­makers make informed decisions and manage risks. The researchers will share the results widely, to help in determining the best options for Canada's future relations with NATO, and how best to leverage Canada's capabilities and international standing.

“There is a dearth of academic scholarship on this issue, partly because of the recent nature of this topic, fast moving events, and a profound lack of evidence-based information on Russia. Analyses of Canada’s role in relation to the ‘Russian threat’ are especially sparse.”

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Synopsis:

Cyber cemeteries and memorials have bourgeoned, giving virtual social space to communities who do not have the cultural, economic or social means to celebrate the lives of their deceased through traditional newspaper obituaries. While the Internet has been hailed as a democratizing medium, little attention has been paid to memorials for the deceased from marginalized or racialized communities.

This synthesis will address a gap in literature and public knowledge about how virtual memorial sites are operated and made accessible. The analysis will provide insight into how the dynamics of race and gender are woven into these expressions of grief, and how they speak to notions of belonging. Results of the project will be shared via podcast, a YouTube video and fact sheets to inform survivors, grief counsellors, the general public, and researchers working in this and related areas.

“With an aging population, memorials become a critical way through which we can remember the past, recapture histories that are untold, and decipher the ways in which those who are marginalized lived their lives and contributed to the nation.”

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Synopsis:

Interconnected factors of war, dictatorship, persecution, development, environmental disaster and human trafficking continue to influence and increase forced migration around the globe. Social and economic conditions of forced migration are inseparable from the homophobic and transphobic violence that often compels LGBTQ people from the global south to leave their countries of origin and migrate to the global north.

The migration of LGBTQ people is influenced by many factors, and often cannot be neatly categorized as “forced” or “voluntary.” This knowledge synthesis project will assess the range and quality of knowledge published over the past decade on LGBTQ migrants living in Canada—in particular, LGBTQ migrants with temporary status, including refugee claimants. This project will include a review of international literature, and will consider the relationships between policy and practice, and implications for LGBTQ migrants living around the world.

Results and key policy recommendations will be shared with policy-makers, service providers and community leaders, along with LGBTQ migrants themselves and host communities.

“Given the growth of research in Canada focused on LGBTQ asylum and LGBTQ rights as an international human rights issue … the project will contextualize Canada’s role within a growing international LGBTQ human rights agenda.”

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Synopsis:

Whistleblowers have contributed to the evolution of modern democracies, and to growing public demand for transparency and freedom of information. The Internet age and the instant nature of social networks have given rise to increased citizen engagement and large-scale disclosures of information of public interest. These agents of change have, historically, brought to light a number of health, environmental, finance and surveillance scandals, as well as corruption cases. Yet, these disclosures can involve risks for some.

While safeguards for whistleblowers seem essential to an open, equitable and secure society in a connected world, Canada’s legal framework has been proving unclear and vague. Without knowing the criteria for being protected—or the rights, obligations and risks involved—and lacking any guarantee of their safety, potential whistleblowers may choose to stay silent.

This synthesis will draw on national, international, legal and sociological literature, to understand the Canadian legal framework, the risks involved and international best practices, as well as the technology solutions that have been developed to safeguard whistleblowing. The project will also analyze needs and solutions for informing policy-makers, so they can take the steps needed.

“This knowledge synthesis will give Canada an opportunity to assume a leadership position in protecting freedom of expression and information, and to thrive in a connected world and evolving global landscape. It will shine a light on the Canadian legal framework, identifying the risks involved for whistleblowers, and for the public, and propose solutions to inform policy-makers.”

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Synopsis:

The rise of populism has shaken democratic institutions around the world. Elected, right-wing governments are increasingly hostile to press freedom, globalization, international institutions, immigration, democratic institutions and liberal values. Despite the current political climate, Canada is not immune to the impacts of the rise in populist movements.

In order to inform decision-makers on how Canada can build resilience within our society and institutions against populist, anti-immigrant sentiments, this project will synthesize research addressing how these movements have taken hold in other democracies. It will look into the root causes and symptoms. The research team will review international studies by academics, governments, not-for-profit organizations and media.

Results will be shared widely, including on a website and through social media platforms, policy briefs, and user-friendly information for teachers to share at the high school and undergraduate level.

“A sign of a strong society in times of great upheaval, such as populism today, is a community’s resiliency. Resiliency is about tools and resources that communities, individuals and societies use to withstand the negative effects of social dislocation.”

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Synopsis:

Domestic violence has been identified as a growing threat for Canadian immigrants and refugees. Among other factors, immigrant families arrive with little or no support system to tackle the challenges of rebuilding their lives. They wrestle with changing family dynamics, and they may have to adapt to new gender roles.

There are few or no systematic analyses of what is known and not known about domestic violence. This study will bring together a team of scholars, policy-makers and service providers who work with or serve immigrants and refugees. They will assess the relevant literature, policy documents and reports on providing services; highlight the strengths, weaknesses and gaps in existing knowledge; map out important areas for future research; and identify the most promising policies and best practices.

“The need to address factors that limit the capacity of Canadian immigrants and refugees to build sustainable and resilient immigrant communities cannot be overstated.”

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Synopsis:

Electoral participation and effective political representation are essential for strong and healthy democracies. In their absence, people can mistrust and question the legitimacy of political decisions. These challenges are more significant for marginalized peoples, such as youth and ethnic minority groups, who face barriers to entry in the democratic process, and whose lower voter turnout is well documented.

To increase understanding on this issue, the project team will review and synthesize research on the effectiveness of interventions to promote voter turnout and the representation of political views of marginalized populations in Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.

The study will, in particular, focus on the effects that experiential learning and civil education have on electoral participation among marginalized groups.

“After decades of neglect in mainstream political science, researchers have finally put more emphasis on marginalized and discriminated-against groups—the poor, youth, women, ethnic minorities, Indigenous peoples, etc. … A systematic review of recent empirical research will help explain the current dynamics, and identify policies that can make a positive difference.”

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Synopsis:

The big data era is unfolding at an amazingly fast pace. New analytical tools and algorithms are making it possible to analyze massive amounts of data, to produce granular insights about human behaviours. These insights can lead to innovations that could fundamentally change productivity and costs, and improve value and services to consumers. To harness the potential of big data, we need to clearly understand the characteristics of big data, and the path from big data to “big impact.”

This knowledge synthesis will examine current research on five connected themes related to enhancing big data analytics’ contributions to creativity, innovation and prosperity.

The results will be shared with policy-makers, business executives, not-for-profit sector leaders, industry associations, academics and other leaders, through a series of workshops and seminars, and an online portal.

“Although scholars suggest that many factors affect the overall big data analytics process, as well as particular stages, the evidence is fragmented and scattered. This synthesis will pull together the disparate evidence and provide a more comprehensive understanding of roles and contexts.”

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Synopsis:

By the end of 2016, Canada accepted close to 40,000 Syrian refugees. This total exceeded the federal government’s October 2015 formal commitment to resettle 25,000 people fleeing the war-torn country. Despite mass efforts to quickly resettle young refugees in Canada, school systems across the country lack policy guidance to adequately support the transition of refugee students, who face socio-psychological challenges as they enter Canadian schools. How global migration has impacted the Canadian education system is also unclear.

This study will review literature and policy across a variety of sectors, to determine current knowledge and gaps in research on refugee students’ education, resettlement and well-being in Canada.

The research team will disseminate results internationally and across Canada, by using social meeting platforms and sharing summaries of findings with provincial ministries of education.

“Understanding refugee teachers’ experiences and pedagogies could greatly benefit Canadian teachers teaching refugee students. Further research exploring the challenges, strategies and opportunities that refugee students and teachers experience in the classroom would greatly benefit the Canadian educational system.”

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Synopsis:

This research explores connections among environmental stewardship, Canada’s international reputation, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Canada has prioritized reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, while at the same time, debates over the ecological impacts of extractive industries are coming to the fore. This project asks how Indigenous ways of knowing can help position Canada as a global leader in the sustainable management of natural resources.

This project will review literature about the conflict in Western Canada over the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan bitumen pipeline, which poses threats to British Columbia’s coastal waters. It will also examine insights and identify gaps in current research related to Canada’s international reputation, including how we communicate about the environment and brand our country. Finally, it will explore how Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and communicating about the environment can be bridged.

Results will be presented in arts-based formats, and shared at community events and conferences, and on the project’s website.

“This research project seeks to contribute to reconciling Canadians with their environment and with Canada’s First Nations—two disconnects that I see as profoundly intertwined issues of social, economic and environmental justice and sustainability.”

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Synopsis:

The world is seeing ever more natural and human-made disasters, with incredible human, financial and environmental impacts. We need more-resilient urban areas, defined as those with the ability to maintain or return to normal functioning following disaster, adapt to change, and improve their capacity to respond to future crises. “Urban resilience” is an increasingly popular term, but municipalities often lack the capacity to implement it, given the significant changes to public administration governance it would require.

This project involves a systematic review of empirical studies on past attempts to build urban resilience. Researchers will identify knowledge gaps and future research needs. The review’s key contribution will be a framework of the factors that make urban resilience easier, and of barriers that need to be overcome. The framework will integrate key findings from different disciplines that need to be brought together to strengthen resilience.

The research team will work with urban practitioners across Canada, and the knowledge and impact division of 100 Resilient Cities (pioneered by The Rockefeller Foundation), to translate the synthesis findings into tools to implement urban resilience in their municipalities.

“Better urban resilience governance will save lives, protect the environment and reduce economic losses. Moreover, it will support innovation and learning and, therefore, help us adapt to emerging challenges and reduce future vulnerability.”

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Synopsis:

As a society, we are entering uncharted waters by introducing artificial intelligence (AI) into our daily lives. The range of predictions on the ethical and social impacts, speed of development and clear potential for change—either positive or negative—calls for public policy that directly addresses the findings of AI research, as it is being conducted.

This synthesis will review cross-disciplinary “computational creativity” research that has taken place over the past 10 years. The research area is concerned with the application of AI to activities usually associated with human creative acts, and integrates artistic, philosophical and cognitive science perspectives.

The project will help government and researchers anticipate aspects of AI when developing regulatory policies, including emerging intellectual property rights of machine- vs. human-created content.

“Rapid advances in machine learning and AI research, perhaps most widely popularized in recent months by the Google Brain Team’s work in applying deep-learning algorithms to visual art, has led to an explosion of activity and interest in this area.”

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Synopsis:

The global revolution in digital communication technologies has introduced new challenges for the integrity of democratic processes like elections and referendums. Foreign actors can intervene in these processes using a variety of digital tools and techniques—such as hacking and leaking databases, or pushing messages via bot and troll networks. While such activities have provoked widespread public outcry and calls for policy responses, there is much less clarity about the actual threat these interventions pose to the quality and outcomes of democratic processes.

To shed light on these digital threats—and to orient future research and policy-making in public opinion formation—a team of academic researchers and industry specialists will assess existing, cross-disciplinary knowledge on the mechanisms and effects of digital interventions in electoral processes. The team will clarify the normative challenges these developments pose to democracy, and identify potential responses.

“These developments present acute policy challenges for governments, civil society, media organizations, and citizens; and an important horizon of research for scholars of democratic theory, public opinion, elections, political communication and digital technologies.”

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