St. Francis Xavier University is receiving $1.2 million in federal funding for research projects.

It means researchers can continue their important work and students will be able to participate for years to come.

Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and MP for Central Nova, Sean Fraser was in Antigonish for this week’s announcement.

According to the university, the departments of Sociology, Human Nutrition, Art, and Mathematics and Statistics will benefit:

• Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) – Dr. Katie Aubrecht, Department of Sociology – $500,000 over 5 years for Healthy Equity and Social Justice.
• Tier 2 Canada Research Chair – Dr. Marcia English, Department of Human Nutrition – $600,000 over 5 years for Protein and Flavour Chemistry.
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) – Insight Development Grants (IDG) competition – Dr. Kyran Cupido, Department of Mathematics and Statistics – $49,486 for Local Investigations of Life Expectancy in Atlantic Canada.
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada – Insight Development Grants competition – Dr. Catherine Girard, Department of Art – $56,263 for Generating a New Praxis and Theory of Intercultural Dialogue Around the Visual and Material Archive of the Komqwejwi’kasikl Language.

Funding will go to StFX research in areas such as rural mental health, sustainable plant-based foods, life expectancy in Atlantic Canada, and ethical practices in art history.