Call for expressions of interest: The UBC Learning Exchange (http://learningexchange.ubc.ca/) is seeking a graduate student (Masters or PhD) for a one-year pilot project funded by the Provost’s Office.
Project summary
Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside (DTES) has a reputation for being one of the most disadvantaged areas in Canada. It has been the venue for a lot of research involving DTES residents as research subjects, and indeed, the whole area has been heavily researched, theorized and made a worst case scenario in contemporary urban life. Despite all the research that has been done, however, residents report that their lives have changed little. One reason for this may be that research findings are rarely made accessible to DTES residents. This pilot project will explore a specific example of how to make research results available to people who were the subjects of the study. It is expected that the pilot project will focus on a specific area of research that answers an important question identified by DTES residents.
The outcome will be a literature review and annotated bibliography of an area of research that has been done by UBC researchers and others. Through this, the project will provide a process and example of making research available to DTES residents. If the pilot project is successful, funding will be sought for a more comprehensive knowledge exchange project.
The project is being led by Angela Towle, Academic Director of the UBC Learning Exchange (http://learningexchange.ubc.ca/) in collaboration with Margot Butler, Academic Director of Humanities 101 Community Programme. It will be shaped by an Advisory Committee involving DTES residents.
Role of the graduate student
The project provides an excellent opportunity for a graduate student to develop expertise into academic research involving human subjects who are marginalized and who live in an area which has been stigmatized. He / she will be a member of the core project team with particular responsibilities for literature searching, Advisory Committee support, literature review and synthesis, and the production of an annotated bibliography or similar for use by DTES residents. It is an opportunity to be part of developing a new approach to making research accessible to the public, as well as an opportunity to interact with DTES residents.
A stipend of $1700 / month is available for one year. It is expected that the project will start in September 2013.
If you think this might be the project for you, please contact Dr Angela Towle (angela.towle@ubc.ca) with a preliminary letter of interest and up to date resume that includes your relevant experience.