UWaterloo Psychology researchers part of $2.5 million SSHRC Partnership Grant

Monday, November 20, 2017

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) just announced a $2.5 million Partnership Grant for a 7-year research initiative in support of gender equity in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields.

The Engendering Success in STEM research consortium is a unique partnership bringing together academic experts – including from UWaterloo’s Department of Psychology – on gender bias and diversity with elementary schools, camps, museums, universities, and industry leaders who share a commitment to increasing opportunities for girls and women in STEM.

Head shot of Hilary Bergsieker
Professor Hilary Bergsieker of Waterloo’s Department of Psychology co-directs Project RISE, working closely with industry partners to identify and test science-based solutions for creating a gender-inclusive culture, enabling employees to work together effectively and to reach their fullest potential. She is leading initiatives to map the micro-networks of teams within these organizations to build a culture of inclusion from the ground up.

In partnership with the Engineering Science Quest program at UWaterloo, Dr. Bergsieker recently launched a 7-year intervention to encourage adolescent girls to recognize how STEM fields connect to their personal values and goals, and to enable boys to better recognize girls’ talent.

Other Waterloo Arts faculty members contributing to the SSHRC Partnership project include grant collaborators Dr. Winny Shen, a professor in the Department of Psychology with expertise in industrial/organizational relations, and Dr. Christine Logel, a psychology professor at Renison University College. Along with Dr. Bergsieker, Dr. Carla Fehr from the Department of Philosophy is a co-principal investigator. Dr. Mary Wells, formerly of UWaterloo Engineering, now dean of engineering at the University of Guelph, is also a co-PI.

Other members of the Department of Psychology whose research has received new SSHRC funding are:

  • Ramona Bobocel: Expanding the Scope of Organization Justice Research: The Role of Construal (Insight Grant $229,250)
  • Allison Kelly: From Competition to Caregiving: A Novel Strategy to Reduce Appearance Comparisons and Body Dissatisfaction (Insight Grant $133,302)
  • Uzma Rehman: Examining Sexual Communication Through the Process Model of Emotion Regulation (Insight Grant $134,500)
  • Abigail Scholer: Metamotivation: Antecedents and Consequences of Flexibly Regulating Motivation (Insight Grant $182,376)

Read more about Engendering Success in STEM partnership on the University of British Columbia website.

Read the UWaterloo Office of Research announcement of new SSHRC funding for research in social sciences and humanities.