BU projects awarded federal research grants

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This article was published 17/09/2024 (449 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Projects by three Brandon University faculty members have been awarded almost $175,000 in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Announced Friday, the Insight Development Grants will go to Roberto Limongi ($75,000), Candice Waddell-Henowitch ($74,351) and Jonathan Allan ($23,512) to support their work over two years.

BU, in a press release issued on Monday, said the grants fund research projects that are in their early stages. As they progress, the projects can be considered for future support through the program.

Vice-president for research and graduate studies Bernadette Ardelli said the development is exciting news for the faculty and its research program.

“It’s rewarding to see the projects, developed right here at BU, grow and create knowledge that is beneficial to our community and our society,” Ardelli said.

Limongi, an assistant professor in BU’s Department of Psychology, is studying how the act of writing has a positive effect on learning for students, the release stated.

“We all understand writing’s importance in sharing ideas, but even writing about their uncertainties, although it is not part of the communication process with others, can help students overcome their doubts and organize their ideas to build on their knowledge,” Limongi said.

“In an age when artificial intelligence can produce a text for us, we ask why a student should write at all. We expect that this research will provide support for a difference between content written by a student and that generated by an AI system, helping us redeem the exclusive position of human-produced written language within the social sciences and humanities.”

Waddell-Henowitch, an associate professor in BU’s Department of Psychiatric Nursing, is launching a pilot project exploring the experiences of childbirth and the transition to parenthood for individuals with a history of sexual violence in adulthood.

“It’s established that previous trauma has a detrimental impact on the birthing experience and the transition to parenthood, as well as poor child health outcomes, but there is little research on those who have experienced sexual violence as adults before giving birth,” Waddell-Henowitch said.

“While there are similarities in trauma response, experiences are processed differently by individuals who have a history of sexual violence in adulthood as opposed to childhood. This research will help us fill in the gaps in current knowledge, leading ultimately to improved care.”

Allan, the Canada research chair for men and masculinities and professor in the Department of English, Drama and Creative Writing, is reading and studying “novela del dictador,” Latin American novels written from the perspective of dictators.

By examining how the authors use masculinities to construct the political identities of the dictators, Allan said he believes his study will complement the work of Latin American scholars and could reveal themes that are relevant well beyond their geographic roots, the release said.

“My argument is that these novels serve as important examples through which to consider our current political climate, not just in Latin America, but also broadly across the Americas, and perhaps even globally,” Allan said.

BU also announced that two other BU faculty members are co-applicants on projects based out of other universities that have been awarded Insight Grants.

Kelly Saunders of BU’s Department of Political Science is working with Janique Dubois of the University of Ottawa on Métis policy in Canada. They have been awarded $216,236 over six years.

Emma Varley of the Department of Anthropology is working with JoAnn Jaffe of the University of Regina on public transportation. They will receive $241,441 over six years.

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