Research is on the RISE at Cape Breton University

Cape Breton University would like to congratulate the 23 talented researchers who recently received internal funding through Research, Innovation, Scholarship and Exploration (RISE) grants. Provided through the Research Assistance Committee of Senate, the internal grants provide up to $8000 to support project activities. Much of these funds go directly toward supporting student researchers who work alongside the grant recipients. RISE is administered by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies at CBU.

“The projects that received RISE funding represent such a range of unique and relevant scholarly pursuits,” says Dr. Tanya Brann-Barrett, Associate Vice President, Academic and Research. “We are so proud of our research community for reflecting timely local issues while contributing to global study. The RISE grants provide a boost, not only to our researchers, but to our student trainees.”

RISE recipient Kristin O’Rourke, Assistant Professor in Education, says RISE funding may seem like a modest amount, with her project receiving just over $2000, but says it will have a significant impact on her work. As a faculty researcher in the School of Health and Education, O’Rourke and co-applicant Dr. Lynn Levatte will undertake their project Exploring the intersection of inclusion and newcomer students in Cape Breton classrooms: A phenomenological study. Their application was recognized as a Distinguished RISE submission, receiving the highest score among submissions from the School of Education and Health. O’Rourke and Levatte look forward to employing a student researcher to assist with the work.

“I’m so grateful to receive RISE funding. It will allow us to examine the experiences of new students in Cape Breton classrooms through personal interviews,” says O’Rourke.  “We aim to determine best practices that support welcoming and inclusive school environments for newcomers to Cape Breton.” She says the information will be shared with participants, affiliate schools and the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Center for Education (CBVRCE).

Other Distinguished RISE applicants include Dr. Martin Mkandawire’s research in the School of Science and Technology: Integrated-Array of Ultrasensitive Micro-Hall Sensors for Scanning Probe of Wireless Wound-Healing Monitoring System, as well as Dr. Catherine Leviten-Reid’s project, entitled COVID-19: Promoting Disaster Preparedness, Response, and Recovery in Homeless Communities in Nova Scotia, which received the highest score from the School of Business applications.

The complete list of RISE projects for 2021 is available here. We look forward to sharing updates about these important research initiatives.