Announcing the 2025 SSHRC Impact Awards Finalists
Twelve first-class researchers are in the running for Canada’s highest honours in social sciences and humanities
September 4, 2025 – The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) is pleased to announce the 12 finalists of its 2025 Impact Awards. The winners in each award category—Talent, Insight, Connection and Partnership, in addition to the Gold Medal recipient—will be announced on November 24, 2025.
The annual SSHRC Impact Awards recognize outstanding researchers and students in the social sciences and humanities for their exceptional SSHRC-funded work to generate valuable new insights, mobilize knowledge into societal applications, and conduct effective outreach activities. Based on nominations from eligible institutions, the finalists are selected by a jury composed of renowned experts from academia, as well as the private, public and not-for-profit sectors.
This year’s finalists are as follows:
Talent Award
The Talent Award recognizes outstanding achievement by an individual who maintains academic excellence, has a talent for research and knowledge mobilization, and has demonstrated clear potential to be a future leader within and/or outside the academic sector. On April 1, 2025 , they must have held a SSHRC doctoral scholarship or fellowship or postdoctoral fellowship. This includes, but is not limited to, a Canada Graduate Scholarship, Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship, or Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship .
- Madison Brockbank, McMaster University
- Joshua Steckley, Carleton University
- Lucas Wilson, University of Toronto
Insight Award
The Insight Award recognizes outstanding achievement arising from a single or multiple SSHRC-funded initiative(s). It is given to an individual or a team of up to six people (including the nominee) whose initiative or initiatives have significantly contributed to knowledge and understanding about people, societies and the world. The research outcomes must have led to demonstrable impact within the nominee’s fields of research and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.
- Kamari Clarke, University of Toronto
- Maite Taboada, Simon Fraser University
- Anna Triandafyllidou, Toronto Metropolitan University
Connection Award
The Connection Award recognizes an outstanding SSHRC-funded initiative that facilitates the flow and exchange of research knowledge within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community. It is given to an individual or team of up to six people (including the nominee) whose initiative has engaged the campus and/or wider community, and has generated intellectual, cultural, social and/or economic impacts.
- Megan Bailey, Dalhousie University
- Tara McGee, University of Alberta, and Amy Cardinal Christianson, Indigenous Leadership Initiative, for the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership
- Amy Parent, Simon Fraser University
Partnership Award
The Partnership Award recognizes a SSHRC‑funded formal partnership for its outstanding achievement in advancing research, research training or knowledge mobilization, or developing a new partnership approach to research and/or related activities. It is awarded to a formal partnership that, through mutual co-operation and shared intellectual leadership and resources, has demonstrated impact and influence within and/or beyond the social sciences and humanities research community.
- Jason Lewis, Concordia University, principal investigator of the Initiative for Indigenous Futures (IIF)
- James Milner, Carleton University, project director of the Local Engagement Refugee Research Network (LERRN)
- Dilip Soman, University of Toronto, project director of Behaviourally Informed Organizations Partnership (BiOrg)
Gold Medal
The Gold Medal is SSHRC’s highest research honour. It is awarded to an individual whose sustained leadership, dedication and originality of thought have inspired both students and colleagues. Finalists are not selected for the Gold Medal category; the recipient will be announced on November 24, 2025.
Quote
“The Impact Awards finalists are leaders and innovative thinkers advancing social sciences and humanities research and its mobilization into concrete benefits for Canada. At SSHRC, we always look forward to learning who the jury has selected to be part of this prestigious group of outstanding students and researchers, and this year is no exception. Congratulations to you all!
Contact
Marie-Kim Vallée-Houde
Communications Advisor
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
impactawards-priximpacts@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca
Media Relations
medias@sshrc-crsh.gc.ca