(Ottawa, April 7, 2017)—Today, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) announced the finalists for its 2017 Storytellers challenge.

SSHRC’s annual contest challenges postsecondary students from across the country to tell the story—in three minutes or 300 words—of how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. The top entries this year addressed a range of important issues, including big data, climate change, Indigenous knowledge, youth, food security and immigration. Their stories highlight how knowledge about the social sciences and humanities helps Canadians understand and improve the world around us.

"Social sciences and humanities research enhances our understanding of modern social, cultural, technological, environmental, economic and wellness issues, and helps us to thrive in complex and challenging times,” said SSHRC President Ted Hewitt. “Our finalists have done a masterful job, through the stories they’ve told, of enlightening and informing us on key issues, and have demonstrated communication skills that will serve them throughout their careers. Congratulations to our Top 25!”

The Top 25 finalists, representing 14 postsecondary institutions from across Canada, were selected from among nearly 200 entries by 24 expert judges from Canada and abroad. Each will receive a cash prize of $3,000 and will go on to compete in the Storytellers Showcase at the 2017 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, taking place from May 27 to June 2 at Ryerson University in Toronto.

Starting April 18, SSHRC will feature five finalists each week via its website and on social media. In addition, a list of honourable mentions can be found on the SSHRC YouTube channel.

Follow SSHRC’s Twitter feed and #SSHRCStorytellers to find out more about the campaign in the lead-up to the Storytellers Showcase at Congress 2017.

This year’s Top 25 finalists are (videos available in the language in which they were submitted):

Name	Institution	Title
Natalie Baird	University of Manitoba	Visualizing Changing Oceans: Inuit Knowledge and Participatory Video
Elise Boulanger	Vancouver Island University	Where is Here: Small Cities, Deep Mapping and Sustainable Futures
John Bryans	Concordia University	The Actor’s Dude Dilemma - a Modern Major General Parody
Amanda Chalupa	McGill University	Rebuilding community & the lives of child migrants
Cheryl Chan	University of Waterloo	Fish for our Future: Communities and Marine Conservation
AnneMarie Dorland	University of Calgary	Design Thinking and Design Doing: Creative Practice in Design Studios
Denise DuBois	University of Toronto	Voices of Youth: Friendship and Belonging from the Perspective of Youth with IDD
Audrey Dutilly	Université Laval	Développement des sons de la parole: regard sur les enfants négligés
Laura Fallon	Memorial University of Newfoundland	The use of inter-rater reliability in forensic psychology journals
Joseph Gagné	Université Laval	Voix de guerre
Andrea Gauthier	University of Toronto	How can we harness game design to promote learning?
Jenna Gilchrist	University of Toronto	Self-Compassion Protects Against Negative Emotions in Sport
Allison Gray	University of Windsor	The Intersection of Animal Abuse and Inter-Personal Violence
Abhilash Kantamneni	University of Guelph	Co-producing knowledge with communities to govern energy transitions
Myriam Lapointe-Gagnon	Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières	La narration au cœur du processus résilient chez les jeunes immigrants
Mimi Masson	University of Toronto	Spotlight on French-as-a-Second-Language teachers
Kathrina Mazurik	University of Saskatchewan	The Experiences of Canadian Young Adults Living at Home
Meagan McCardle	Memorial University of Newfoundland	Enhancing Youth Legal Literacy through Technology
Ayesha Mian Akram	University of Windsor	Closing the Employment Standards Enforcement Gap
Nadia Naffi	Concordia University	How Canadian Youth Construe their Role in the Integration and the Inclusion of Syrian Refugees
Amy Peirone	University of Windsor	Spousal Violence in Canada
Ali Sharifkhani	University of Toronto	Sectoral Shifts and Equity Return Predictability
Tammara Soma	University of Toronto	Closing the Loop: Food Waste and Consumption in Indonesia
Courtney Szto	Simon Fraser University	Changing on the Fly: Exploring Multiculturalism, Citizenship, and Hockey
Megan Wilson	University of Guelph	PRIVACY STORIES