Planning is well underway for Congress 2015, which will take place at the University of Ottawa from May 30 to June 5, 2015. 

 

Registration will open in January 2015.

 

The website has been launched, and association material is being posted in real time as programming is decided and announced.

 

"Capital Ideas", the theme for Congress 2015, will invite us to reflect on the power of ideas: ideas captivate our hearts and minds; ideas connect people and ignite discussions and debates; ideas create knowledge and spark discoveries. Ideas represent an invaluable currency capable of changing our lives and our world. Congress 2015 will be an exciting intellectual hub where ideas will be expressed, shared and implemented!

The Federation has initiated a strategic planning process that is taking place over the next year. We are reaching out to Federation members, key partners and other interested parties to solicit their input. We want to build on the successes of our current strategic framework while strengthening our ability to allocate resources to key activities. Our goal is to develop a strategic plan that benefits from a high degree of buy-in from all parties and will be implemented with energy and focus.

 

Learn more about strategic planning consultations and give your feedback by Monday, September 22, 2014. 

 

The Federation has prepared a 2015 pre-budget submission. Our recommendations this year include the following:

• Investment in research by increasing funding to the granting councils and the Canada Foundation for Innovation
• Creating opportunities for Canadian post-secondary students through awards for international study and internships
• Expanding social innovation through increased funding for social innovation in universities
• Improving access to post-secondary education for First Nations, Métis and Inuit by expanding funding to scholarship and bursary programs

Read the full pre-budget submission or the Federation's blog on this topic.

 

Consultation on the Federation's draft policy for the Awards for Scholarly Publications Program (ASPP) and Open Access is open until September 18, 2014. The Federation's draft policy for the ASPP is: The ASPP will actively support Open Access publishing of ASPP-funded books.

 

The consultation aims to collect feedback from the Federation's community, including scholars, authors, publishers and editors. This feedback will be part of the final development of the policy, which will be released and implemented in 2015.

 

The Federation will be supporting a panel at the 11th annual Conference of the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL), taking place in Quebec City on October 22-25, 2014. The conference, hosted by Université Laval, will be held at the Québec City Convention Centre.

 

In an enlightening interview Federation president, Antonia Maioni, outlines to International Innovation how the humanities and social sciences contribute to a better understanding of today's greatest challenges. Here is a brief quote, in Maioni's words, from the article:

 

"One must never overlook the crucial contribution of the humanities and social sciences, and even the arts in any endeavour in the natural sciences. As Canada transitions from an industrial to a knowledge-based society, success lies in cross-disciplinarity, creative approaches to complex and rapidly-evolving challenges in areas such as climate change, energy policy, ageing and a shared prosperous future with our Aboriginal peoples. Now, more than ever, we need to bring together content, context and technology in forging new dynamic pathways and cultures of entrepreneurship and innovation."

 

Go to the full article in International Innovation.

 

The Federation is proud to highlight the exciting work and achievements of students, researchers and scholars in the social sciences and humanities (SSH) through our blog. Recent stories have included:

• Advances in digital humanities software development
• Aboriginal ethnobotany
• A social robotics experiment called hitchBOT

The Federation welcomes guest blog contributions from members who have an exciting story to share about their SSH work. By staying informed, we can better advocate for the immense value of the SSH in Canada. Our blog policy can be found here  and all ideas for contributions can be sent at communications@ideas-idees.ca.

 

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The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is a national, member-based organization that promotes the value of research and learning for a free and democratic society.

www.ideas-idees.ca