The Government of Canada is mobilizing social sciences and humanities research to improve public transit infrastructure planning and Canadians’ mobility

In September 2020, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), in collaboration with Infrastructure Canada, launched a mobility and public transit Knowledge Synthesis Grants competition. The funding opportunity, administered by SSHRC, allows researchers to examine and synthesize knowledge, to inform decision‑making and to identify critical gaps in existing knowledge to guide future research on urban and rural mobility issues in Canada.

Public transit and mobility are part of the challenge areas identified through the Imagining Canada’s Future initiative. SSHRC monitors research capacity in these areas and implements strategies and knowledge mobilization activities to enhance social sciences and humanities contributions. Public transit accounts for the majority of funding allocated by Infrastructure Canada’s Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Knowledge Synthesis Grants recipients will gather data to help identify best practices, lessons learned and indicators of success. The resulting syntheses may inform development of effective tools, robust policies and sustainable practices that support the transit needs of urban and rural communities.

Knowledge Synthesis Grants projects aim to:

• critically assess the state of knowledge to identify knowledge strengths and gaps within the theme under consideration;
• help develop future research agendas;
• help identify roles that the academic, public, private and not‑for‑profit sectors, and Indigenous rights holders, may play in the development of robust policies, tools and best practices; and
• facilitate the sharing of research findings with stakeholders from across sectors and Indigenous rights holders.

More information

See the Mobility and Public Transit competition description.