Congratulations to UBC History faculty members Dr. Benjamin Bryce and Dr. Henry Yu on their recently funded 2025/2026 research clusters!
Research Excellence Clusters are interdisciplinary networks of researchers addressing societal and cultural problems, and working together to solve challenges that transcend traditional boundaries associated with departments, institutions, and funding agencies. Funding for clusters at UBC Vancouver is awarded through the Grants for Catalyzing Research Clusters (GCRC).
Creating Better Asian Canadian Community Engaged Research
Description: The Centre for Asian Canadian Research Engagement (ACRE) cluster will respond to ongoing issues facing diverse Asian Canadian communities, particularly the pervasiveness of anti-Asian racism, which became very public during the pandemic. As a multi-disciplinary team of researchers, staff, and community knowledge bearers, this cluster seeks to better understand and engage with the changing demographics of Asian Canadian communities, while highlighting the differential impacts of anti-Asian racism. Exploration of how Asian Canadian communities can be represented and represent themselves will occur through new approaches to archival collection, collaboration, digital preservation, and impactful distribution of public education.
Cluster Lead: Henry Yu
Latin American and Caribbean Landscapes
Description: This cluster connects scholars from across Arts and Forestry whose research engages with landscapes in Latin America and the Caribbean. Workshops, speaker series, and “multiplier” grants will centre the question of extractivism and its impact on Latin American societies, Indigenous Peoples, and the environment. As a returning cluster, efforts will focus on solidifying research relationships, creating a Centre for Latin American Studies at UBC, establishing Mitacs fellowships, and recruiting postdoctoral researchers. Building on past success (2023-25), PhD students will be actively involved as researchers and workshop coordinators.
Cluster Lead: Benjamin Bryce
Read about all of the other UBC Arts Research Excellence Clusters that were awarded funding for 2025/2026.
