On December 9th, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) President Ted Hewitt and SSHRC Vice-President of Corporate Affairs Valérie La Traverse visited the Games Institute for a tour and meeting with researchers, directors, and staff.
Dr. Hewitt was visiting Waterloo for a day of consulting with SSHRC researchers and to give the talk “Research Funding in the Social Sciences and Humanities: Past, Present and Future” hosted by the Waterloo Office of Research.
Dr. Hewitt’s talk discussed new SSHRC opportunities, anti-intellectual populism, publishing for the public, and budget cuts to humanities funding and education from the federal government and institutions. Including how social sciences and humanities enrolment rates are connected directly to federal humanities research funding.
During their tour of the GI, Hewitt and La Traverse were able to visit the new Haptics Experience Lab, which is directed by Dr. Oliver Schneider (Management Sciences, Engineering), recipient -alongside Dr. Kristina Llewellyn (Social Development Studies, Renison University)- of the SSHRC/NSERC New Frontiers in Research Fund for the project “Incorporating Social Justice into Haptic VR Storytelling.” The SSHRC representatives had the opportunity to talk to multiple GI grad students and faculty researchers about their SSHRC-funded projects and other interdisciplinary collaborative work.