This year, SSHRC launched the first-ever Research for a Better Life: The Storytellers challenge. We asked postsecondary students from across the country to show Canadians how the very best ideas in the social sciences and humanities—research about people, behaviour, human thought and culture—are helping us understand and improve the world around us, today and into the future.
Students across Canada rose to the challenge and submitted their most compelling story pitches describing an innovative, SSHRC‑funded research project being carried out at their institution. A jury selected the Top 25 from among the creative entries that included video, audio, infographic and text‑based stories.
“The Storytellers campaign celebrates the talented students from across Canada who have shone a light on the exceptional contributions of the social sciences and humanities through excellence in research communications,” said Chad Gaffield, president of SSHRC. “Their creative and compelling insights into how SSHRC‑funded research is helping to create a better future for Canada and the world are truly inspirational, and effectively illustrate the promise of our future leaders. Congratulations to all who participated in the challenge!”
Today, we are pleased to reveal the names of the finalists from 16 postsecondary institutions in the Meet the Top 25 gallery. Congratulations to:
These Top 25 will be awarded a prize valued at $3,000 CAN; registration (provided by the Canadian Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences ) and two nights’ accommodation at the 2013 Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences in Victoria, BC; an invitation to participate in a special two-day communications workshop (June 2 and 3) at Congress; and a slot in the Storytellers Showcase, where they will compete for the chance to deliver a featured presentation at the World Social Science Forum in Montreal this October.
On April 2, we will begin our series of “Storyteller Tuesdays,” revealing three submissions each week as we make our way across Canada. Starting on the east coast at Memorial University of Newfoundland and moving westward, we will finish with the finalists from the University of Victoria, host of Congress 2013. Be sure to keep an eye on the Google Map in the gallery as we add more great submissions to SSHRC’s very own trans-Canada highway.
Congratulations to the Top 25!
Follow SSHRC’s Twitter feed and the #SSHRCStorytellers hashtag to find out more about the campaign as we approach June, where the Top 25 will take part in the workshop and showcase their stories at Congress 2013.