Toronto, ON – The University of Toronto and the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work are proud to announce that Dr. Amanda Grenier, and her team have been awarded a $2.5 million Partnership Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada to lead a major international research initiative titled Aging in the Margins: Building Inclusivity and Goodwill (AIM BIG) .
Amid growing attention to population aging, Dr. Grenier and her team are confronting a critical question: why are so many older people still falling through the cracks? This seven-year project will bring together leading researchers, community organizations, students, and older adults across Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Nordic region to better understand and address the processes that shape marginalization in later life. The initiative responds to growing concerns about unmet needs among older adults facing poverty, housing insecurity, social exclusion, and limited access to support systems.
“This investment gives researchers the chance to work together to understand the complex social issues that contribute to marginalization, and alongside organizations that can immediately translate knowledge into action” said Dr. Grenier. “Our goal is to ensure that the suggestions we recommend are created in collaboration with older people and that suggestions are tailored to their needs.”
The project is the first comprehensive international partnership dedicated to studying aging and marginalization in a coordinated and applied way. It brings together thought-leaders, advocates and organizations, and older people to document disparities, and understand how structural conditions may produce gaps that result in insecurity and shape the everyday experiences of older adults. Through a combination of methods including statistical analysis, policy review, and interviews of lived experience, AIM BIG will generate evidence-based resources to support advocacy, decision-making and service delivery.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada Partnership Grant program supports large-scale, collaborative research initiatives that address complex challenges in the social sciences and humanities. Through AIM BIG, Canada is positioned to take a leading role in advancing equitable and inclusive approaches to aging on a global scale.
Amanda Grenier is the Norman and Honey Schipper Chair in Gerontological Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, Institute for Life Course and Aging, and Baycrest Academy for Research and Education.