The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) today announced the winners of the 2026 Storytellers Challenge, during a special showcase at the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) conference. The annual competition challenges postsecondary students to demonstrate-in up to three minutes or 300 words-how SSHRC-funded research is making a difference in the lives of Canadians. This year's winners represent the pinnacle of clear, impactful and creative research communication.
These five students were selected for their exceptional ability to translate complex social, cultural and economic research into compelling narratives. The winners each receive $1,000 in addition to the $3,000 they received as finalists, and the opportunity for national promotion of their excellent work. Join us in congratulating and celebrating this year's talented Storytellers.
- Andrea Bentz from the University of Ottawa, who explained how pediatric emergency nurses experience moral injury shaped by ethical challenges and broader professional and societal pressures.
- Kathleen Motluk from the University of Toronto, who described a project examining the use of a barge as accommodation for asylum seekers in the United Kingdom.
- Diana Peña Ruiz from the Institut national de la recherche scientifique, who explained that women in Canada hold less wealth than men, with gaps persisting or widening among younger generations.
- Jaclyn Roach from the University of Regina, who explained that teacher well-being is shaped by systemic pressures and deeply impacts classroom experiences.
- Ghada Youssef from the University of Victoria, who described an arts-based project that shares genocide survivors' experiences through graphic novels and documentary films.
SSHRC also awarded the competition's Engagement Prize to Lakehead University's Sydney Ambury, who received an additional $1,000. This finalist creatively and consistently promoted their submission, the submissions of other finalists, and the Challenge generally.
