Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge Launched ahead of 2019 Election

Dr. Taylor Owen, holder of the Beaverbrook Chair in Ethics, Media and Communications received, with Dr. Elizabeth Dubois (University of Ottawa), a Canada History Fund grant to run the Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge. They have launched a call for proposals for projects examining the uses and impacts of digital media in the 2019 Canadian Federal Election. 

The Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge is a collaborative effort between Dr. Taylor Owen at McGill University and Dr. Elizabeth Dubois at the University of Ottawa, made possible in part by the Government of Canada through a Canada History Fund grant. Dr. Owen will coordinate data collection and processing while Dr. Dubois and her interdisciplinary team will coordinate the awards and a final conference.

Through a series of Research Awards, the Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge aims to support rigorous academic research into the impacts and uses of digital media during the 2019 Federal Election in Canada. The aim of this project is to understand the digital media ecosystem in order to support increased digital literacy among Canadians. 

Award recipients will join a collaborative effort to understand the digital ecosystem during this election. Awards range from $10,000 to $100,000 and include access to digital and survey data which might otherwise be too difficult or costly to obtain for small research teams. All award winners will attend a post-election conference in February 2020 at the University of Ottawa to present initial results to a public audience. Dr. Owen and Dr. Dubois will also coordinate a public report summarizing the initial findings from this collaborative effort and highlighting the opportunities and challenges Canadians face in a digital context.

Learn more about the Digital Ecosystem Research Challenge