2026 Awarded Research Grants

External Awards

BC First Nations Women’s, Two Spirit, Self-Determination, Rematriation & Research Governance Initiative

The grant supports an outreach initiative that advances BC First Nations rematriation and research governance for self-determination through matriarchal leadership and mentorship, relationship building with First Nations and urban Indigenous organizations, network expansion, and the B.C. First Nations Women’s, Two-Spirit, Self-Determination, Rematriation and Research Governance Summit.

Dr. Amy Parent  (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Gloria Lin; Dr. Mary Jessome (Collaborators)

Funding Agency: SSHRC
Program: Connection Grant

Understanding Fatherhood Following Resettlement: An Exploration of Parenting and Wellbeing Programs for Newcomer Fathers in Partnership with MOSAIC

This project advances knowledge on the emotional wellbeing and community supports of newcomer fathers of young children. It examines emotional and parenting needs, barriers and facilitators to accessing community services, and suggestions for service improvement to support newcomer families.

Dr. Emily Cameron (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Joshua Madsen; Dr. Sharon Hou; Dr. Tanya MacGillivray (Co-applicants)

Funding Agency: SSHRC
Program: Partnership Engage Grant

Between Cultures and Generations: Young Adult Immigrants Navigating Family, Culture, and Well-being

Using qualitative interviews and a scoping review, this project examines intergenerational family dynamics, acculturation, and adulthood transitions, while developing concepts and measures to support future research on identity, family relationships, and well-being.

Dr. Sharon Hou (Principal Investigator)
Dr. Janet Mah (Collaborator)

Funding Agency: SSHRC
Program:Insight Development Grant

The Family Foundations Lab: Leveraging Digital Mental Health for Accessible and Affordable Psychological Interventions

Dr. Cameron’s research goal is to better understand mental health challenges in non-birthing parents, including fathers and 2SLGBTQ+ parents, during the transition to parenthood. Her work combines wearable technology with a family-friendly research environment to identify risk factors and develop evidence-based supports for mental health, parenting, and sleep. By supporting diverse families, her research aims to improve parent and child well-being and reduce the long-term health and economic impacts of untreated mental illness.

Dr. Emily Cameron (Principal Investigator)

Funding Agency: Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
Program: John R. Evans Leaders Fund

Culture and Child Health Lab: Creating a Culturally Responsive Pathway for Child Health Equity

Dr. Hou’s project will establish the Culture and Child Health Lab at SFU to improve health, wellbeing, and access to care for children and youth from underrepresented communities, including racialized, immigrant, and neurodivergent families. The Lab provides a purpose-built space for inclusive engagement, youth- and family-friendly assessment, and secure integration of qualitative and quantitative data-capabilities not currently available at SFU or regionally. 

Dr. Sharon Hou (Principal Investigator)

Funding Agency: Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
Program: John R. Evans Leaders Fund

Neuroinclusive Health Human Resources: Advancing Neurodivergent Leadership, Retention, and Workforce Participation in BC Health Systems. 

Dr. Birmingham will collaborate with Lara McLachlan, founder of the Neurodiversity Change Foundation, to explore ways to improve workplace inclusion, retention, and leadership opportunities for neurodivergent professionals in BC’s health systems. Building on their respective research and advocacy expertise, the partnership aims to identify research and knowledge mobilization opportunities that support a more neuroinclusive health workforce.

Dr. Elina Birmingham (Principal Investigator)
Lara McLachlan (Collaborator)

Funding Agency: Michael Smith Health Research BC. 

Internal Awards

Creating a Global Senior Student Affairs Officers (SSAO) Survey: Expanding Understanding of the SSAO Role in International Contexts

This study will bridge this gap in understanding by developing and piloting a global SSAO survey, enabling a comparative analysis of SSAO experiences across global higher education contexts. This pilot protocol development will add a new dimension to Pidgeon and Browne’s work of facilitating five nationwide surveys within the Canadian SSAO context since 2002. The global SSAO survey will create international comparative datasets that build upon the Canadian SSAO datasets in other international contexts.

Dr. Michelle Pidgeon (Principal Investigator)

Agency: SFU/SSHRC
Program: SSHRC Small Research Grant 

Using Pedagogical Tasks to Strengthen Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge

This research will focus on task design in teacher education that intertwines mathematics and pedagogy. It will lay the foundation for an underexplored area of the literature on teachers’ knowledge and the work of mathematics teacher educators. The project will contribute to teacher education by explicating the role of tasks designed to strengthen teachers’ mathematical knowledge and extending the argument for the use of mathematical-pedagogical tasks in teacher education courses.

Dr. Dr. Rina Zazkis (Principal Investigator)

Agency: SFU/SSHRC
Program: SSHRC Small Research Grant 

Examining Students’ Experiences of Decolonizing Pedagogy in Educational Psychology

This research will examine undergraduate students’ reflections, coursework, and interview transcripts after they have completed an introductory educational psychology course that centres Indigenous perspectives, confronts colonial narratives, and invites students to engage in activities related to identity and belonging. It will generate insights into how students engage with and resist (or adopt) decolonizing pedagogical approaches, contributing to theoretical debates on how we can uphold our high-level commitments to anti-racism and decolonization in this field.

Dr. Robyn Ilten-Gee (Principal Investigator)

Agency: SFU/SSHRC
Program: SSHRC Small Research Grant 

Understanding Family, Culture, and Immigration from the Perspectives of Immigrant Young People in Canada: A Pilot Study

This pilot study will explore how immigrant young people experience and navigate family dynamics, aiming to understand these relationships in their own words and from their perspectives. Study questions will be developed and tested to capture these experiences. Findings will identify gaps in knowledge and inform future research, interventions, and policies that promote culturally responsive supports for immigrant youth and families, advancing our understanding of family well-being in Canada’s diverse society.

Dr. Sharon Hou (Principal Investigator)

Agency: SFU/SSHRC
Program: SSHRC Small Research Grant 

Decolonial work in natural history university museums: Professional perspectives, educational practice, and emotional engagement

This project examines how natural history museums understand and implement decolonization through exhibitions and educational programs. Focusing on a Lisbon museum, it explores staff perspectives and emotions, institutional change, cultures of care, and the affective dimensions of decolonial work.

Dr. Ana Maria Navas Iannini (Principal Investigator)

Agency: SFU/SSHRC
Program: SSHRC Small Research Grant 

Scholarly Journal: Science & Education

Dr. Cristiano B. Moura

Agency: SFU 
Program: University Publication Fund (2026)