The Federation has established, and will maintain a DATA BASE OF REPORTS ON RESEARCH in the humanities and social sciences. The information will be available through the Federation. This project continues the "Challenge 98" initiative and will be a continuously updated bank of information which can be drawn on it has already been used many times for lobbying and when concrete details are needed to illustrate the value and presence of work in the humanities and social sciences. We are encouraged to submit one-page reports outlining our research projects, stressing the value they have to society at large and in a way which funding agencies will understand. These reports are meant to cover the broad spectrum of our work including graduate student research as well as projects from more senior scholars. The reports can be send to me as your HSSFC representative, and I shall see that they get sent to the Federation, or sent directly to the Federation office.
The AID TO SCHOLARLY PUBLISHING PROGRAMME, administered by the HSSFC, is a major force in the dissemination of scholarly research. An example close to hand is the new volume edited by Anton Wagner, Establishing our Boundaries: English-Canadian Theatre Criticism, which was launched along with Staging the North: Twelve Canadian Plays edited by Sherrill Grace, Eve D'Aeth and Lisa Chalykoff, at the ACTR/ARTC sessions at Bishop's in June. The ASPP was restructured this past year, alas not without some pain. But among the new intiatives at ASPP has been the creation of a Native Studies Sub-Committee within the Publications Committee.
The HSSFC has embarked on two new SSRHC- funded projects: "Measuring the Impact of Research in the Human Sciences," which is studying the development of performance indicators in the humanities and social sciences, and the "National Electronic Archive of Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences," which is looking at the advantages and problems in electronic publishing, and is being conducted in partnership with the National Library of Canada.
The HSSFC has re-affirmed the centrality of women's issues in its projects. Vice-President Cynthia Alexander is working closely with Louise Forsyth and members of the Women's Issues Network in this area.
The DATA LIBERATION INITIATIVE II is making available large amounts of Statistics Canada data regarding the humanities and social sciences. This project is funded on a subscription basis by 51 universities.
An HSSFC initiative (you may remember "CRIC"s) has led to the SSHRC-funded COMMUNITY UNIVERSITY RESEARCH ALLIANCE which is establishing up to 8 "CURA" centres in 1999-2000 and a further 8 in 2000-1. Information on this project is available from SSHRC,
The HSSFC has been examining the results of the Canadian Foundation for Innovation programme which demonstrates a dearth of opportunities for humanities and social sciences researchers. This lack of balance is troubling especially since approximately half of university enrolment is in humanities and social sciences.
At the annual General Asembly of HSSFC in November, roundtables on the future of the humanities, performance indicators, women and health, and the plight of modern languages teaching, provided an airing of problems in these areas:
The Future of the Humanities two focal points emerged. First, the need for university budgets to reflect both rhetoric and enrolment that place the arts at the heart of these institutions; Secondly, the need to share with students more about the work involved in humanities research (students are generally unaware of what goes on in humanities research.
Women and Health three main issues. What are women's health issues currently? Who is doing research in this area? What are the granting opportunities?
Modern Languages? Strategies were discussed to deal with the elimination of modern language programmes. The first steps in forming a network of Modern Language researchers were taken as well as ways of acting on the strategies outlined.
Performance Indicators: The tone was a general alarm about the development of "PI"s which are inappropriate for the humanities and social sciences.
As you can see from this report, some action has already been taken in the areas addressed in the four roundtables, and in many other areas as well. Our own ACTR/ARTC is scheduling a session on Performance Indicators in Edmonton in 2000. In all, I believe we have much to be encouraged by in the work of the HSSFC.
HSSFC can be reached at: 415 - 151 Slater, Ottawa, ON K1P 5H3;
613-238-6112; fax 613-238-6114; email: fedcan@hssfc.ca;
URL: http://www.hssfc.ca