The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) is expected to announce in early February that Canada's co-operative sector, in partnership with four Canadian universities, has been awarded funding of $1 million over five years  to conduct research on the social, economic and environmental impact of co-operatives.

SSHRC's Community-University Research Alliance (CURA)  program supports the creation of alliances between community organizations and post-secondary institutions to foster innovative research, training and the creation of new knowledge in areas of importance for Canada's social, cultural or economic development.

The SSHRC funding will amount to $200,000 a year in each of the five years starting in April, 2010.  The CURA will be managed by the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) in consultation with its partners and participants.

CCA applied for the CURA in partnership with Saint Mary's University, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Victoria, and Mount Saint Vincent University, all of which are well-known for their research on co-operatives and the social economy.  More than a dozen other co-operative associations, co-ops, credit unions and academic researchers will also participate in the CURA.

For more information, visit the CCA website.