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Announcements, events, and news from Spark

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February 28th 2025

Bi-weekly news from Spark: a centre for social research innovation at McMaster University

Centre News

Community-Engaged Research Days - 2025

In an era of complex social challenges, community-engaged research (CER) has emerged as a powerful approach to producing knowledge that is both academically rigorous and socially impactful. However, the practice of CER often falls short of its ideals, with power imbalances, logistical hurdles, and ethical dilemmas hindering truly collaborative partnerships between researchers and communities.

To address these critical issues, Spark partnered with the Office of Community Engagement to organize a free two-day conference, "Bridging Divides: Advancing Ethical and Equitable Community-Engaged Research," scheduled for March 27-28, 2025.

The conference is built around four consecutive workshops on challenging engaged research topics, featuring expert speakers from both academic and community backgrounds. The event's innovative format goes beyond traditional presentations, incorporating interactive elements such as small group discussions, role-playing exercises, and a gallery of community research projects. This approach will provide participants with practical tools and strategies to implement in their own work, while also creating opportunities for new relationships to form.

Thursday, March 27

9:30 - 10:00 am: Event opens, research gallery opens, registration, settling-in

10:00 - 12:00 pm: Workshop: The Opportunities and Challenges with 'Insider Research'

12:00 - 1:30 pm: Lunch, research gallery (gallery presenters in attendance)

1:30 - 5:30 pm: Workshop: Evolving Community Research Ethics

5:30 - 6:00 pm: Space remains open for networking. Research gallery remains open for viewing

Friday, March 28

9:30 - 10:00 am: Event opens, research gallery opens, registration, settling-in

10:00 - 12:00 pm: Workshop: The Devil is in the Details: Compensation and Other Issues of Access and Inclusion in CER Logistics

12:00 - 1:30 pm: Lunch, research gallery (gallery presenters in attendance)

1:30 - 5:30 pm: Workshop: Communication in Research: Having the 'Hard Conversations'

5:30 - 6:00 pm: Space remains open for networking. Research gallery remains open for viewing

Learn about each workshop here.

Propose a research gallery submission here.

Reserve Your Spot

Upcoming Events

Save the Date!

Spark is saying goodbye in style.  Come celebrate social research with us on April 10th from 3:30-6:30.  Details and registration to follow.

“Recomposing Consciousness”

Drawing on perspectives from disability studies, medical anthropology, and psychological anthropology, we argue that what has taken to be “normal” models and ideals of human consciousness arbitrarily exclude ways of being in the world that are atypical. Reviewing ongoing research projects on disability and communication and mental illness and aesthetic movements, we demonstrate how more capacious models of consciousness provide the foundation for more inclusive politics that act against biologically reductive approaches.

John Marlovits is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at San Jose State University. His work focuses on psychiatry, affective geographies, and how mental health shapes aesthetic experience.

Matthew Wolf-Meyer is Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is the author of The Slumbering Masses: Sleep, Medicine, and Modern American Life, Unraveling: Remaking Personhood in a Neurodiverse Age, and American Disgust: Racism, Microbial Medicine, and the Colony Within.

Register for this Spark Talk here.

This video is a preview video forJohn Marlovits and Matthew Wolf-Meyer's Spark Talk on March 7th, 2025.

Resources for Researchers

Research Conversations

We provide up to 4 hours of free support each year to any researcher (students, staff, faculty or community) on every social research topic imaginable.  If we can't help you, we'll help you find someone who can.

Request a research conversation here.

Qualtrics Licenses

If you are an Faculty of Social Sciences researcher who would like to request access to Qualtrics survey software, please contact us here.

Looking to pool software licences?

Now you can! Fill out this form and we will reach out if we can match you with others looking to pool licences.

Methods Demonstrations

Faculty in Social Sciences may request demonstrations, short trainings, or code-along sessions from Spark staff for Research Methods or Professional Skills courses.  We're happy to discuss any needs and have already developed trainings for Literature Review, Interviewing, Survey Development, Focus Groups, Data Visualization.  Email us at [email-masked] to discuss if there's a fit for your course.

CoLab

Research on research innovation (yes, it's very meta) points to a simple truth.  Being in the same physical space and able to informally interact significantly increases cross-disciplinary collaboration and discovery.  The Spark CoLab aims to be such a space.  It is a free, open co-working space for graduate students, research staff and faculty.  You can learn more on our website or stop by from 9 am - Noon or 1 pm - 4pm on Tuesday or Thursday for a tour and orientation.

SEAL

Some data is critical to addressing major research questions, but is also profoundly sensitive and must be secured.  SEAL is a high security data repository that allows approved researchers worldwide to access highly sensitive data securely.  Data owners can use it to engage researchers in using their datasets and researchers can access data that otherwise would not be available to them.

Learn more about SEAL at: https://seal.mcmaster.ca/

Brighter Spark Applied Research

Spark offers custom research and evaluation, as well as highly skilled assistance in implementing virtually any social research method. Our cost-recovery services include methods and software training, custom research, state-of-the-art facilities, and taking on elements of your project to support its completion.

For a full list of Brighter Spark Applied Research's services, visit here.

Spark Collaborations

Help us profile your research, publications, job ads, opportunities, and upcoming events by sending them to: [email-masked] to be showcased in our following newsletter.

Digital Assets, Black Histories: Where the Archive and Technology Collide

The Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts, the Sherman Centre for Digital Scholarship, the Department of History, and the Black Student Mentorship Program present a talk from Dr. Cheryl Thompson's Mapping Ontario's Black Archives project on Black Canadian histories in the archive. This talk will examine the archive, digital assets, and provide findings

Connection Grants Competition

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is now accepting applications for the Connection Grants competition.  SSHRC has established the following deadlines for Connection Grant competitions:  February 1, May 1, August 1, and November 1. Connection Grants are expected to respond to the objectives of the Research Partnerships program. These grants support events and outreach activities geared toward short-term, targeted knowledge mobilization initiatives. These events and activities represent opportunities to exchange knowledge and engage with participants on research issues they value. Events and outreach activities funded by a Connection Grant can often serve as a first step toward more comprehensive and longer-term projects.

SSHRC will accept applications for the Research Data Management Capacity Building Initiative during the May 1st, 2025 competition.

Application Process

If you intend to submit an application, please contact Amanda Graveline, Senior Advisor, Development, ROADS, at [email-masked]  by March 3, 2025.

The initial draft of the application and letters of support are due to the Research Office for Administration, Development and Support (ROADS), by 9:00 am on April 10, 2025.

The final draft, and a completed and signed Application Approval Form, are due to ROADS by 9:00 am on April 24, 2025. Please note, applications received after this date may not receive a full review.

More information:

Additional information regarding the Connection Grants Program can be found on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) website at:

http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/funding-financement/programs-programmes/connection_grants-subventions_connexion-eng.aspx.

Rotary Peace Fellowship at the MA level

Rotary offers very generous fully paid Peace Fellowships to study abroad. There are two Peace Studies programs – an MA program at one of 5 universities and a Certificate Program at 2 Universities. The value of the MA Peace Fellowships averages $87,000 USD and the Professional Certificates average $15,000 USD. Applications open February 1, 2025 with a closing deadline of May 15th, 2025 for the 2026 academic year.

Our Rotary District has been very successful mentoring qualified candidates with their applications for these programs. This is part of our commitment to serving our community. Applicants must have an undergraduate degree with good grades and three years of related work experience together with a drive to become a leader for peace and development in their community and beyond. Past fellows have included health care workers, social workers, educators, NGO executives, journalists, lawyers, police officers among others. Experience advocating for anti-oppression, poverty relief, housing, disability rights  and equity would be an asset.

This opportunity is open world-wide and is not limited to residents of Canada.

Here is the link describing the Fellowship Program: Peace Fellowships | Rotary International

Provisional Guidelines on the Use of Generative AI in Research

Guidelines for the use of generative AI tools for McMaster researchers – Read more about McMaster's guidelines for the use of Generative AI in Research here.

Bridging the Gap: Evaluating the Impact of Research Resources on Undergraduate Research Experiences at McMaster University.

You are invited to complete a brief, 12-question online survey that will take between 10 and 30 minutes of your time, depending on the depth of your responses. This study is conducted by thesis student, Raiyan Rubab, under the supervision of Dr. Jason Brodeur of the McMaster University Libraries and the School of Interdisciplinary Science.

The survey aims to gather employee and faculty input on the effectiveness of McMaster's resources in supporting undergraduate research experiences. The findings will help identify gaps and guide the development of a system that better supports and enhances undergraduate research opportunities.

To be eligible for this study, you must be an employee in a McMaster department or organization who provides support for undergraduate research experiences. Support may be provided in the form of resources such as guides, research templates, tip sheets, writing support, etc. or services such as research consultations, research advising, career counselling, etc.

To learn more about the survey and the research study, particularly in terms of any potential risks or harms associated with the survey, how confidentiality and anonymity will be handled, withdrawal procedures, how to obtain information about the survey’s results, etc., please read the accompanying Letter of Information and Consent. The survey will be open until March 1st, 2025.

You can access the survey by clicking on the following link: https://surveys.mcmaster.ca/limesurvey/index.php/571393?lang=en. You will be presented with a brief description of the study followed by a consent preamble before the survey begins.

We would like to thank you in advance for your time and consideration.

If you have any questions about the study, please contact:

Raiyan Rubab                                   Dr. Jason Brodeur

[email-masked]                 [email-masked]

This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance from the McMaster Research Ethics Board (Project # 7306).

Statistics Canada Workshops

Statistics Canada is offering valuable workshops designed to enhance your understanding of statistical methods and economic frameworks. These workshops are ideal for beginners or those seeking a refresher.

Workshop: Statistics Canada's Supply-Use Framework

This workshop provides an overview of Statistics Canada's Supply and Use Tables, including GDP calculations and economic impact models. It's geared towards those interested in understanding macroeconomic concepts and how they are applied.

Cost: $550 per learner

Target Audience: Ideal for those with a basic understanding of macroeconomics; may be too basic for advanced users.

Registration: Available in-person in English (Jan. 28 and 29) and in French (Mar. 5 and 6) in Edmonton, and in English (Mar. 5 and 6) in Vancouver.  Register Here

Kudos

Let's celebrate the achievements of colleagues, friends, and those doing important social research with the potential to spark a brighter world. We welcome recommendations for kudos features (including for yourself)! Please send any features you would like us to mention by emailing us at: [email-masked].

Congratulations to the team, comprising of Natalie Peluchon (Chemical Engineering Level II), Kurlan Beeharry (Software Engineering Level II), Micole Mathew (Engineering Physics and Management Level II) and Vanessa Harvey (Computer Engineering Level II), created their ‘Energy Loft’ app during the weeklong hack. The ‘Hackstreet Boys’ were named the winning team for their idea at the judging competition on Jan. 31, the culmination of a weeklong hackathon. An app that helps users track their carbon footprint won McMaster’s inaugural societal impact hackathon held by the Digital Society Lab (DSL). They won the grand prize of $1,000 and the opportunity to work with the developers at DSL to turn their idea into a reality. Read more about this here.

Kudos to McMaster University for earning a spot among the world’s top 150 universities for its strong academic reputation and prestige, according to Times Higher Education’s 2025 World Reputation Rankings. Read more about this here.

Congratulations to Jeremiah (Jerry) Hurley, the dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, who will serve as acting provost from April through June 2025. Hurley has served as dean of Social Sciences since 2015. Under his leadership, the faculty has expanded interdisciplinary programming, deepened community engagement in research and teaching, and advanced equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigenous strategies (EDIIS). Read more about this here.

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