Federation news
Federation Board welcomes new Chair and four new Directors
Federation Board welcomes new Chair and four new Directors – Following the Federation’s Annual Meeting on June 17, we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Barrington Walker as the new Chair of the Federation’s Board of Directors. A long-serving Board member and nationally recognized historian, Dr. Walker brings deep scholarly expertise and a lifelong commitment to equity and inclusion in academic life.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to outgoing Chair Dr. Annie Pilote for her steady, thoughtful leadership. Her contributions have helped position the Federation to meet the future with confidence and care.
At the meeting, four (4) new Directors were elected to the Board.
- Peter Dorrington – Associate Professor, Université de Saint-Boniface
- Hisham Al Khatib – Organizational Behaviour and Strategic Frameworks, George Brown College
- Jerome Cranston – Vice-Provost, Students and Learning, University of Saskatchewan
- Andrea Lawlor – Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and the Public Policy (Digital Society) Program, McMaster University
2025 Canada Prizes winners announced
The 2025 Canada Prizes were unveiled at Congress 2025, honouring five remarkable books that are redefining scholarly excellence. Selected from across the Federation’s Scholarly Book Awards program, these titles represent the highest distinction for books in the humanities and social sciences.
At a dynamic gathering at Congress, this year’s winners gathered to reflect on their work and discuss the role of scholarship in shaping society. It was a moment that spotlighted the vision and resonance driving research across Canada today.
Select the books below to meet the authors and explore their stories.
- Tricky Grounds: Indigenous Women's Experiences In Canadian University Administration - Candace Brunette-Debassige
- Population Control: Theorizing Institutional Violence - Jen Rinaldi and Kate Rossiter
- Mille après mille : Célébrité et migrations dans le Nord-Est américain - Pierre Lavoie
- D'Arthur Buies à Gabrielle Roy : une histoire littéraire du reportage au Québec (1870 - 1945) - Charlotte Biron
- Vieillissement et crise du logement - Gentrification, précarité et résistance - Julien Simard
If you missed the 2025 Prizes ceremony, The Canada Prizes: Unwritten histories, unfolding futures at Congress 2025, you can now watch it here.
Learn more about the Canada Prizes.
2025 Governor General's Innovation Awards
We are proud to share that The Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA), nominated by the Federation, was a recipient of the 2025 GGIAs. ODARA is the world’s first data-driven tool for assessing future risk of intimate partner violence. Learn more about the GGIAs.
Strategic planning update
As part of the Federation’s ongoing strategic planning process, Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA) hosted a series of engagement sessions at Congress 2025, connecting with members of the scholarly community nationwide. A second round of virtual consultations will take place in July, continuing the dialogue with members. These sessions will explore perspectives on evolving trends in HSS education and research, opportunities for stronger partnerships across the postsecondary sector, and key areas where the Federation can enhance its impact and relevance.
HSS community members are invited to participate:
- Thursday, July 3 at 14:00 ET (English)
- Tuesday, July 8 at 9:00 ET (French)
- Wednesday, July 16 at 11:00 ET (English)
- Monday, July 21 at 13:00 ET (English)
Register for a virtual consultation session and/or submit written feedback to the HESA team.
We are looking to HESA to complete its work by the fall, with further updates to follow.
Abstract management for Federation member associations
Join other member associations in the use of our newest member-exclusive service! The Federation’s abstract management software is a fantastic solution for any association that wants to promote, receive, review, and send approvals of abstract submissions for their next conference or academic journal at a lower-than-market cost. Find out more or attend a demonstration.
From peer review to the public: Reimagining academia for civic life
On May 28, 2025, the Federation and the Samara Centre for Democracy co-presented a webinar that explored how the humanities and social sciences shape our understanding of civic life, power, and participation. Watch the recording.
Advocating for stronger support for French-language research
On May 27, 2025, Karine Morin, President and CEO of the Federation, appeared before the External Advisory Panel on the Creation and Dissemination of Scientific Information in French to share the Federation’s recommendations on strengthening French-language research in Canada. Our recommendations included:
- Review research and training funding to assess if proportional allocation for French submissions would incentivize researchers currently applying in English.
- Support for French must include knowledge creation, not just dissemination. The Chief Science Advisor should also ensure support for both official languages within their mandate.
- Encourage the establishment of networks for Francophone research, such as SARF.
- Expand platforms like Érudit into national programs that elevate French research to a comparable level to English and reduce its isolation.
The Federation also signed Acfas' open letter titled ‘Pour une reconnaissance pleine et entière de la recherche scientifique en français au Canada’ which emphasizes the need to enhance the place of French language in Canada’s scientific governance. Read the letter (in French only).
Add your voice to the External Advisory Group. Your testimonies will help deepen their understanding of the issues facing the country’s French-language research ecosystem. Share your thoughts.
Social Innovation for Canada's Future
The Federation submitted an editorial for the Canadian Science Policy Centre, calling for the integration of HSS expertise into policy and innovation development. Read the editorial.
Join the Scholarly Book Awards’ Publication Committee
Are you passionate about advancing scholarship in Canada? This volunteer position offers you the chance to engage with innovative research in your field while uplifting original Canadian work in the HSS. We are seeking committee members who read English, French or both! Learn more and apply.
Congress news
Congress 2025 highlights
With over 7,500 attendees, Congress 2025 was a big success! This year, scholars, graduate students, policymakers, and community members gathered at George Brown College under the theme Reframing togetherness to question traditional knowledge hierarchies and collaborate on fundamental and applied research solutions for humanity’s historically rooted problems.
Thank you to our 2025 host, George Brown College, for being the first college to host Congress and to the 48 participating associations and their members for entrusting us with convening and promoting your incredible work.
To the Federation’s contractors, volunteers, and event technicians, we are so grateful for your behind-the-scenes work that makes Congress magic.
Big Thinking at Congress
The recordings of this year’s Big Thinking lecture series are now available!
- Technologies of togetherness: Shaping an equitable future with AI – Heather Krause, Debra Lam, and Ryan Morrison
- Environments of togetherness: Collaborating at the climate crossroads – Eriel Tchekwie Deranger, Melina Laboucan-Massimo, and Kay-Ann Williams
- Care of togetherness: From social isolation to collective well-being – Billy-Ray Belcourt, Jael Richardson, Kisha Supernant, and Kai Cheng Thom
- Pedagogies of togetherness: Practices for inclusive learning – Paul Turcotte, Jessica Riddell, and Normand Labrie
Big Thinking Summit: Reframing togetherness
Inspired by this year’s Congress theme, Reframing togetherness, this two-day pilot forum united colleges, institutes, and universities to strengthen connections and collaborate on cross-sector solutions to address Canada’s most pressing challenges. The 2024 Summit served as a timely call for the postsecondary sector to rethink shared responsibility and collaborative actions during this era of rapid change and uncertainty. Read more.
Announcement on Congress 2026
As announced to association members in May, after over a year of discussions with a potential institutional host for Congress 2026, our negotiations have unfortunately fallen through. In 2026, the Federation will support member associations in hosting a virtual conference, and host a smaller in-person event. We are currently consulting with members and will share more details soon.
This will be a transitional year as we navigate the realities of rising costs, sector-wide pressures, and evolving expectations. It will also be an opportunity to inform a broader rethinking of Congress through the Federation’s new strategic plan.
Reimagining Congress Task Force
As part of our work to build a stronger future for Congress, the Federation has launched a Congress Reimagining Task Force. Composed of association leaders and former host institution representatives, the group will develop recommendations to shape a more sustainable and inclusive model for convening the HSS community. Meeting across the summer, it will address key financial and reputational challenges and explore how future events can better serve institutional hosts, associations, attendees, and the Federation. Recommendations will be shared with our Board in August, alongside those from our strategic planning consultant, Higher Education Strategy Associates.
HSS News
How can the HSS Commons support your work? – Two new blog posts examine how researchers are utilizing the platform to share their work, build networks, and foster collaboration. Read Dr. Brittany Amell’s blog post. Read Dr. Constance Crompton’s blog post.
Knowledge Synthesis Grants – The Social Science and Humanities Research Council offers Knowledge Synthesis Grants funding opportunities to address global challenges identified through the Imagining Canada’s Future initiative. Learn more.
Survey of experiences with online misogyny in academia and university settings – Have you experienced online misogyny or technology-facilitated gender-based violence? Do you work in academia or a university setting in Canada? Dr. Jada Watson and members of the Digital Feminist network are recruiting faculty, instructors, researchers, librarians, archivists, and administrative personnel to participate in a national survey about experiences with tech-facilitated gender-based violence. Take the survey.
Postsecondary institutions celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day – For National Indigenous Peoples Day, several institutions held special events and shared resources in advance of the weekend celebration. Read more.
Pride, pages and performance: Why drag story time matters more than ever – Professors from Mount Saint Vincent University are conducting SSHRC-funded research that explores drag story times with the hope of learning more about how these events foster best practices in literacy and inclusive education. Read more.
Cancelling in-person Congress wounds humanities research – Canadian research institutions face immense pressure while internationally, research in the humanities and social sciences is being directly threatened. Amidst this turbulence, Canadian academics need robust scholarly spaces to gather and strengthen the role of research and society. Read more.
“Mission-driven” is not a bad word – Evidence suggests that mission-oriented research and innovation have a central place in the support system for science. We need to tackle wicked problems and global challenges and to create economic and societal well-being. Read more.
Canada’s universities ready to support Liberal government – With the Liberal federal government sworn in, universities are ready to help tackle Canada’s biggest economic challenges. Read more.
Four universities call for measures to attract foreign researchers – Université Laval, McGill University, Université de Montréal, and Université de Sherbrooke stated in a press release that at a time when political and social tensions are weakening the global research ecosystem, Québec and Canada have an opportunity to position themselves as a welcoming place for research. Read more (in French only).