Nadine Fabbi, managing director of the Canadian Studies Center, Patricia Johnston, UW’s Banting Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-22) and Emma Elliot-Groves, School of Education, were together awarded a Global Innovation Fund grant to build an international research network of scholars to address social services and wellbeing in the Canadian Arctic and in other Indigenous communities.
The goal of the project is to develop an international research network of institutions in Canada and the United States for the short-term goal of publishing a special edition of a peer-reviewed journal on the subject; and the longer-term goal of building a network of scholars in the field of health and social services. The team includes 17 scholars from 12 different universities in Canada and the United States who will work together over the course of the year to develop research papers on Indigenous health and wellness. The project will provide professional development training for doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows and new faculty by connecting them with senior researchers and via working with Dr. Joanne Muzak, a professional writing coach based in Québec City.
The project is focused on Indigenous social and psychological well-being. It involves six Indigenous scholars (Inuit, Inupiaq, Cowichan and Kaniekeha’ka). Topics covered are all related to Indigenous studies and importantly to Indigenous epistemologies and methodologies. Research topics include: Inuit women and community-based education programs in Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homeland in Canada), understanding Indigenous suicide, population health of Inuit in Québec, hunter-led search and rescue in Alaska, social work education in Nunavik (Québec), an Inuit approach to child and family wellness and social services in Nunavut, and programs for stroke victims in Indigenous communities.
“Thanks to the vision and network provided by our Banting postdoctoral Fellow, Patricia Johnston, we are able to bring together this small and emerging community of social science researchers and community leaders to assist in building a vibrant community of scholars,” notes Nadine. “Several members of the team are early scholars or doctoral students who will benefit from the mentorship of their peers and funds designated for research and writing coaching.”
A proposal has been accepted by the American Review of Canadian Studies for special edition of the journal.
Since 2014, the Office of Global Affairs has been advancing interdisciplinarity through the Global Innovation Fund. It supports transformative cross-college, cross-continent research collaborations and global Husky Experiences. Seed funding of up to $20,000 is awarded to develop cross-college and cross-continent research collaborations. This is the first award given for a research project that builds collaborations with Canadian institutions.