8 researchers receive Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards
Published: September 18, 2026
Eight researchers from the University of Toronto have received Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards for 2026-27.
Awarded by the Connaught Fund, the program supports research carried out in collaboration with non-academic community partners and is driven by their needs and priorities. A total of $800,000 is being disbursed for this year's competition, with each project eligible to receive up to $100,000.
“The Connaught Community Partnership Research Program exemplifies the power of research when it is built in collaboration with communities and guided by their needs and priorities,” said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.
“This year’s projects tackle an array of challenges and opportunities, from Indigenous language revitalization to AI-enabled navigation of assistive services that strengthen support for migrant workers. Together, they demonstrate how community-engaged research can generate new knowledge while delivering tangible benefits for communities across Canada.”
The recipients of the 2026-27 Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards are:
- Heidi Bohaker, department of history, Faculty of Arts & Science – Braiding History: Building a research collaboration with Walpole Island First Nation
- Tahohtharátye' Joe Brant, Centre for Indigenous Studies and department of linguistics, Faculty of Arts & Science – Tayethihswanéta': Supporting Mohawk immersion pedagogy with Elder's Knowledge
- Shelley Craig, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work – The GLO-Up: Mobilizing 2SLGBTQ+ youth to evaluate and optimize a digital mental health intervention
- Kiran Mirchandani, department of leadership, higher and adult education, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education – The experiences of international migrant workers in Iqaluit, Nunavut
- Monika Molnar, department of speech-language pathology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Listening First: An Indigenous-led community consultation on early speech and learning
- Aryan Rezaei Rad, department of civil and mineral engineering, Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering – Building with underutilized local timber through Indigenous knowledge, robotic fabrication technology, and bio-based adhesives
- Laurie Rousseau-Nepton, David A. Dunlap department of astronomy and astrophysics, Faculty of Arts & Science – Astronomical knowledge revitalization: The stone circles project
- Rosalie Wang, department of occupational science and occupational therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Co-designing an AI-enabled online resource for persons with disabilities and healthcare providers for navigating assistive technology funding and services in Canada
