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David Wolfe

$2.9M to U of T project on building Canada's digital economy

SSHRC also awards four other U of T initiatives

How can Canada best respond to the challenges posed by a rapidly changing digital landscape, while benefiting from emerging opportunities to promote our economic prosperity?

That is the question at the root of a major new research partnership led by David Wolfe, a political scientist at U of T Mississauga and co-director of the Innovation Policy Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs.

鈥淐reating Digital Opportunity: Canada鈥檚 ICT industry in global perspective鈥 will receive $2.9 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) over six years. With additional funding from U of T and other partner universities, firms and organizations, the total project funding is $5.1 million. 

SSHRC awarded a total of $44 million on August 27 through its Partnership Grants and Partnership Development Grants programs to universities across the country. 

The Partnership Grants program supports formal partnerships between academic researchers and external partners to advance knowledge and understanding on questions of intellectual, social, economic and cultural significance. 

Wolfe believes that evolving digital technologies are critical to the global economy and to Canada鈥檚 future economic growth and prosperity. He says that the rapid pace of innovation and shifting global leadership in digital technology are creating major challenges for Canada鈥檚 digital industries and, at the same time, new opportunities. 

鈥淭he Innovation Policy Lab is thrilled to receive this substantial initial funding from SSHRC and launch a major new research project on the prospects for the digital economy in Canada in association with our lead partner, the Canadian International Council,鈥 says Wolfe. 鈥淥ur ability to create, adopt and utilize new digital technologies across every sector of the economy will determine Canada鈥檚 future success and economic well-being. The research from this project will help shape public policy to ensure that Canada is able to fully seize the digital opportunity that lies before us.鈥 

U of T also won four funding awards in the Partnership Development Grants program. These smaller awards are intended to enable researchers to foster, design and test new partnerships. The following U of T faculty are heading up projects that each involve a number of partners:

Stephanie Springgay, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), 鈥淧erforming lines: innovations in walking and sensory research methodologies,鈥 $199,400.
Randall Hansen, Department of Political Science, 鈥淢igrants, refugees and the international state system,鈥 $191,092.
Morley Gunderson, Department of Economics, 鈥淒eterminants of apprenticeship outcomes," $76,012.00.
Katherine Tamminen, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, 鈥淧otential for change: exploring the culture of youth hockey,鈥 $91,360.

鈥淭hanks to SSHRC and congratulations to these outstanding U of T scholars,鈥 said Professor Peter Lewis, interim vice-president, research and innovation at U of T. 鈥淲ith so many complex problems facing society, the best way to explore and devise workable solutions is through collaboration. We look forward to seeing all of these U of T partnership projects move forward.鈥

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