The Government of Canada announced the Tri-agency New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) recipients of the 2021 Exploration stream and Special call innovative approaches to research in the pandemic context. Twelve projects led by University of British Columbia researchers were awarded more than $2.8m through the federal fund.
Professor Heidi Tworek, Associate Professor and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in History and Policy of Health Communications, jointly appointed at the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and Department of History at UBC, was awarded New Frontiers in Research Fund for her project on “Mobilizing a Network of Health Communicators to Investigate and Respond to Online Abuse.” Her co-applicants include magda byma (Canadian Association of Science Centres) and Jaigris Hodson (Royal Roads University). This project was a response to a special call for innovative approaches to research in the pandemic context.
Dr. Tworek said: “I’m honoured to receive this funding to carry out experimental research in how we can best enable health communicators to provide high-quality information online. The Covid pandemic has shown us the vital work of health communicators; we hope this research will help to support that work and protect those communicators from the worst online abuse and harassment.”
Launched in 2018, the NFRF funds high risk-high reward, interdisciplinary, and transformative research led by Canadian researchers working with Canadian and international partners. NFRF is designed to support world-leading innovation and enhance Canada’s competitiveness and expertise in the global, knowledge-based economy.
In total, this is an investment of over $45 million towards interdisciplinary, high-risk, high-reward research of 751 recipients.
