Why does your research matter?

How is our world changing? Are we ready for the challenges that lie ahead?

These are the sorts of questions tackled every day by researchers in the social sciences and humanities, as they engage with today’s most pressing issues.

And for the past five years, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) has been putting its ear to the ground to unearth the best of these research stories from across the country.

Through the SSHRC’s annual Storytellers contest, post-secondary students from every Canadian institution are encouraged to “show Canadians how social sciences and humanities research affects our lives, our world and our future prosperity.”

Participants have three minutes or 300 words in which to demonstrate how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in our society. Contestants from past years have covered fields ranging from development economics to gender identity, environmental management and game culture. 
 

The format is flexible; researchers can use the medium of their choice to tell their story in a creative and innovative way. The featured project can be either the student’s or a professor’s (with their permission).

The top 25 finalists each receive $3,000 and go on to compete in the Storytellers Showcase at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Emanuelle Dufour, a PhD student in art education at Concordia, was selected as one of the 2016 finalists. For her project, she created a graphic novel on adapting education programs and services for Indigenous students in order to provide them with the cultural security they need.

To mark the country’s 150th anniversary, the SSHRC will honour one of the storytellers with a special award. More details will follow on the Storytellers website.

Participants have until January 31 to submit their stories.
 

Find out more about the SSHRC Storytellers contest.