Research
Research is at the heart of FES. The time and effort that faculty members devote to securing research funding and to engaging in knowledge mobilization activities help our faculty, postdoctoral fellows/visitors, and students get involved in innovative research that showcases the interdisciplinarity and the broad relevance of our work. Our research culture, however, goes far beyond the money raised from external sources. From the wide array of activities, research, and publications that emerge from the Faculty, it has one of the most diverse and active research cultures at York.
Spotlights
Innovative Projects
FES has one of the most diverse and active research cultures at York. By showcasing the success of these major grant holders we celebrate the continuing development of that research culture and the many innovative and exciting activities it supports and inspires.
Search Research Projects
Start Date | Title | Researchers | Theme |
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May 1, 2019 | Rubble to Refuge: Toronto’s Leslie Street Spit | Jennifer Foster | Urban Planning |
April 1, 2019 | Dependence of cyanobacteria bloom formation and maintenance on anoxia and trace metals in eutrophic lakes | Lewis Molot | Resource Management |
April 1, 2019 | A biocultural and interdisciplinary approach to pollinator conservation through ecology, art and pedagogy | Sheila Colla (PI) and Lisa Myers (Co-PI) | Resource Management |
April 1, 2019 | Psychoanalysis and International Development | Ilan Kapoor | Global Inequalities |
April 1, 2019 | Offshore oil exploratory drilling and marine protected areas: Assessing decision-making processes and outcomes in comparative developed state cases | Gail Fraser | Resource Management |
Student Research Titles
Search Student Research Titles
Year | Title | Student | Supervisor | Type |
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2019 | The New Kitchen: Chefs Activism in Food Policy for Strategic Change | Glenn White | Roderick J. MacRae | MES Major Papers and Theses |
2019 | Affordable Housing: Exploring Alternative Housing Methods | Reva White | Luisa Sotomayor | MES Major Papers and Theses |
2019 | The Upstream Greens Project at York University | Taylor Wiggins | Roderick J. MacRae | MES Major Papers and Theses |
2019 | Toronto Community Health Centres: Environmental Perspectives | Kaila Wong | Sarah Flicker | MES Major Papers and Theses |
2019 | A City Within a Park: The Economy of Urban Green Spaces in Toronto | Ramsen Yousif | Stefan Kipfer | MES Major Papers and Theses |
Publications & Reports
Several scholarly publications and reports highlight the depth and breadth of research done by FES faculty, postdoctoral fellows/visitors, and students
Search Publications


Local Activism for Global Climate Justice: The Great Lakes Watershed
Edited by Patricia E. Perkins
CRC Press, September 2019
ISBN: 9780367335892

Rising Tides: Reflections for Climate Changing Times
Edited by Catriona Sandilands
Caitlin Press, August 2019
ISBN: 9781773860183
Outstanding Papers
The Faculty produces some of the best and most original research papers and projects done by graduate students. The Series recognizes exceptional MES major papers and projects and make them available to a broader readership.
Since 2000, the series has been published electronically. Papers from the 1999 series or earlier are still available as separately published works through the Faculty’s publications office. For copies, contact fespubl@yorku.ca.
Search Outstanding Papers
Year | Title | Researchers |
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2019 | Wildlife and macro-debris pollution: examples from marine and freshwater environments | Melina Damian Flores |
2019 | From Reclamation to Conservation: A History of Settler Place-Making in Burns Bog, British Columbia | Cameron Butler |
2019 | Planning for Fisheries Co-Management in Canada’s Northwest Coast: The case of Prince Rupert, B.C. | Rabia Nasreen Ahmed |
2019 | Art as an Intervention in Public Space: How Art Can Act as a Medium to Cross Social Divides | Grant Calder |
2019 | Trauma Worlds: More-than-Human Stages of Recovery | Noreen Anne Cauley |
Research Services
York is at the forefront of research collaborations and partnerships enabling our researchers to apply their wide-ranging knowledge and expertise on a variety of research issues. .It offers its researchers with easy access to information and services they need to conduct world-class research. Below are essential information on internal and external funding opportunities, a shortlist of major granting institutions in Canada and abroad, and other pre-award and post-award services for our researchers.
Funding Opportunities
The links below are intended to support faculty and student efforts in securing and administering research funds. FES faculty and students are encouraged to apply for internal and external funding for their research initiatives. If there is additional information or links you would like to see posted here, please contact the FES Research Officer. The Research Officer provides assistance in identifying internal and external funding opportunities as well as research project accounting.
IMPORTANT NOTE: External funding applications must include an Office of Research Services (ORS) Application Checklist and be signed by the Dean. If an institutional letter of support is required (usually for large grant applications), please complete the Letter of Support form and submit to David Phipps, Executive Director, York Office of Research Services at dphipps@yorku.ca. Please submit any external funding applications to the FES Research Officer.
Internal Funding
External Funding
Major research granting institutions in Canada
Other Canadian research funding sources
Sources for funding international research
- Universities Canada
- Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) – The Indigenous People Partnership Program
- Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development Canada (DFATD)
- Fulbright Canada – Foundation for Educational Exchange Between Canada and the United States of America
- International Development Research Centre
- MITACS
- United Nations Environment Programme Awards
- World Bank – Global Environment Facility Program
HR Services for Researchers
York faculty members can hire undergraduate and graduate students as well as postdoctoral fellows and visitors in their research projects. Below are the policies and procedures for hiring undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral research staff or interns in your projects.
- Research at York (for hiring undergraduate students)
- Graduate/Research Assistantships
- Graduate Internships
- Postdoctoral Fellows and Visitors
- External Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities
- International Postdoctoral Fellows
- York Postdoctoral Fellows
York’s Human Resources has summarized various services for grant holders and research employees of York. You need to login to yu link using your passport York account and go to academic or employee resources to find the information that you need. For more detailed info and assistance, please contact your Research Officer.
Innovation York
Innovation York is the commercialization and industry liaison office for York University. The unit provides services to faculty members, trainees, and industry within four service streams: agreements, industry liaison, commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Innovation York’s goal is to provide an integrated suite of services to the York research community to facilitate research, realize the commercial, economic, and social potential of research outcomes, and to create a culture of industry-engaged scholarship and entrepreneurship.
Knowledge Mobilization
Innovation York’s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) unit is a national and international leader in knowledge mobilization. The KMb unit has a suite of activities that create connections between researchers and community and government organizations to support the development of research partnerships and dissemination of research results, as well as a suite of training tools to teach you how to develop and implement knowledge mobilization strategies.
Research Impact
York University is a founding member of ResearchImpact (RIR), a pan-Canadian network of 12 universities that helps to maximize the impact of academic research for the social, economic, environmental and health benefits of Canadians. RIR is committed to developing institutional capacities to support knowledge mobilization by developing and sharing knowledge mobilization best practices, services and tools.
Research Accounting
York University’s Finance Department facilitates provides relevant and responsive financial and administrative services to the academic community. It delivers a wide variety of financial services to the York University community including setting up and maintenance of budgets, reimbursement of expenses, procurement of services and supplies, risk and insurance management, taxation, accounts payable and receivables, cash management, eCommerce, trust and endowments, as well as provides updates on important policies and procedures and training opportunities for faculty and staff.
Research Ethics
The Office of Research Ethics is responsible for research ethics at York. All research subject to ethics review must be approved by the appropriate ethics review body before the research may begin.
Visiting Scholars/Researchers
The Faculty of Environmental (FES) studies offers a limited number of Visiting Scholar/Researcher opportunities for predoctoral and postdoctoral scholars. These positions are intended to support advanced and interdisciplinary research and writing on any environmental topics. Visiting Scholars/Researchers will be welcome to participate in the supportive, interdisciplinary community of scholars at York and FES and will have opportunities to present their research at seminars. There is no stipend attached to Visiting Scholar/Researcher positions, so applicants must be self-funded. They are not entitled to any individual supervision. Visiting Scholars/Researchers will be provided library privileges (with proof of Ontario address), wireless internet, shared work-space, access to meeting rooms, and an invitation to attend faculty events and talks.
Visiting Scholar/Researcher positions are available for periods ranging from one month to one academic year. No summer only appointment is possible, but an appointment may extend over the summer months. Visiting Scholar/Researcher applications will be evaluated by the FES Faculty Appointments Advisory Committee. Final approval will be given by the Dean.
For more information, please read and fill out the Visiting Scholars/Researchers Application Form.