All of these projects have been selected through a highly competitive process on the basis of their significance and research excellence. The following describes the latest projects to receive funding and summarizes the expected contribution of their research to Canadian social, economic and cultural life.
Innovation is key to successful competition in the global knowledge-based economy.
Unlike previous studies of innovation systems and economic development that were limited to particular regions, the Innovation Systems Research Network will analyze how the growth of clusters contributes to economic growth and development within a number of regions across Canada. The diversity of histories and economic structures in regions across the country offers an ideal opportunity for a rigorous examination of the process of cluster development. Together with previous research, the findings of this study will help create a coherent body of knowledge that will enhance Canada's capacity for innovation in the 21 st century. In this project, researchers will examine the ways in which values and perceptions of identity are expressed. They will study the representation of migration, of autobiographies and of self-portraits as well as the means by which Francophone society has incorporated elements of other cultures.