Laurier researchers awarded nearly $1 million in new Insight Development Grants

Nov. 24, 2022

The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) has awarded Insight Development Grants to 15 Wilfrid Laurier University faculty members, for a total of $961,338 in new research funding. The grants support research in its early stages. Laurier’s successful applicants will be studying a diverse range of topics including community safety in Canadian cities, supporting Ontario students with learning disabilities, the effects of blockchain frictions on financial infrastructure and Indigenous policy approaches to asserting self-determination.

“We have Insight Development Grant winners from many disciplines across our institution, representing the depth and breadth of research excellence at Laurier,” says Jonathan Newman, vice-president: research. “Thank you to SSHRC for investing at the inception of this impactful research.”

Katrin Roots, an assistant professor of Criminology, was awarded $64,604 to study strategies for anti-trafficking policing in Canada. In recent years, provincial and federal governments have invested significant funding to address sex trafficking, with a strong focus on law and policing reform. However, Roots’ previous research indicates that little is known about the tactics being used, there appears to be poor coordination between policing units, and current policing strategies are shown to have adverse effects on racialized, poor, migrant and sex-working communities.

With her Insight Development Grant funding, Root and her research team will investigate how the policing of human trafficking is working in practice across jurisdictions; analyze the role of human and digital surveillance; and assess the impacts of anti-trafficking policing on marginalized communities. Her goal is to provide evidence-based knowledge that can inform policing approaches, law and public policy.

Borzou Rostami, an assistant professor of Operations and Decision Sciences, will receive $71,897 to develop data-driven strategies for improving retail shopping. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on customer demand patterns and consumer behaviour, affecting in-person retailers. Though physical retail still dominates over e-commerce, studies show that specific shopping trends may be here to stay, and behaviour changes will reshape consumer decision journeys in the post-pandemic era.

One of the main strategies to increase in-store sales is to optimize the existing space. Rostami’s research will address shelf space planning in relation to new customer behaviour by considering factors such as store congestion, product location and the attractiveness of displays. Using machine learning tools, he will develop mathematical models that determine how to allocate and arrange product categories and achieve the most effective store layout for profitability and customer satisfaction.

MORE RECIPIENTS

Laurier’s additional Insight Development Grant winners include:

• Meaghan Barlow, assistant professor of Psychology, who was awarded $74,996 for her project “Examining the self-regulatory consequences of sadness and anger.”
• Neil Campbell, professor of Philosophy, who was awarded $34,297 for his project “Reactive attitudes and personal relationships.”
• Kelly Gallagher-Mackay, associate professor of Law and Society, who was awarded $71,720 for her project “Purposes of schooling and policy consequences in the wake of COVID-19: A cross-Canada study of system and equity leader perspectives.”
• Anne Haubo Dyhrberg, assistant professor of Finance, who was awarded $72,058 for her project “The effect of blockchain frictions on financial infrastructure.”
• Frank Kachanoff, assistant professor of Psychology, who was awarded $72,292 for his project “A collective autonomy threat and defense framework to study EDI initiatives.”
• Thomas Marta, assistant professor of Finance, who was awarded $66,019 for his project “The effects of the growth of exchange-traded funds on financial markets.”
• Cameron McKenzie, assistant professor of Social Work, who was awarded $74,996 for his project “Supporting Ontario students with learning disabilities in postsecondary education.”
• David Monod, professor of American Social and Cultural History, who was awarded $74,986 for his project “New York noise: The sound of the West Side, 1950-1990.”
• Melody Morton Ninomiya, assistant professor of Health Sciences, who was awarded $74,985 for her project “Indigenous policy approaches to asserting self-determination: Developing an Innu policy framework.”
• Juan Morales, assistant professor of Economics, who was awarded $74,948 for his project “The loudest voice: Social media, morals and political conflict.”
• Marcus Sibley, postdoctoral fellow, who was awarded $69,064 for his project “Examining community safety and surveillance groups in Canadian cities.”
• Fang Wang, professor of Marketing, who was awarded $74,997 for her project “Virtual influencer marketing: The role of anthropomorphism.”
• Guolei Zhang, assistant professor of Organizational Behaviour and Human Resource Management, who was awarded $61,771 for his project “Everyone accounts: A revisit of LGBTQ2+ employees’ workplace behavior of disrupting workplace heterosexism and advocating equal treatment in China.”