March 31, 2023
UBC Community Engagement and the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovationhas announced the recipients of the 2022-23 Community-University Engagement Support (CUES) Fund, and we're proud to share that this year our very own Assistant Professor Maggie Low is one of the recipients!
About the CUES Fund
UBC's Community-University Engagement Fund awards funding to support selected community-university partnerships that benefit communities across the province of British Columbia and advance collaborative research, teaching, and learning.
Awarded partnerships are exceptional examples of how communities are collaborating with students, faculty and staff to address priority issues across the province.
Funding goes directly to community partners, and the work involved is done collaboratively with their partners in UBC. This funding:
- Removes financial barriers and prioritizes reciprocal, inclusive engagement so all communities — especially those that have been and continue to be underserved, marginalized, or excluded — can benefit.
- Helps applicants develop new or existing community-university relationships and especially welcomes applications from collaborative projects that advance:
-Equity, diversity, and inclusion
-Indigenous engagement and reconciliation
-Health innovation and community wellbeing
-Sustainability and climate action
-Teaching, learning, and research excellence
More about Maggie Low's project
"Enhancing community well-being
through energy sovereignty:
Lessons from West Moberly First Nations"
West Moberly First Nations (WMFN), located on Peace River Country on Moberly Lake, are innovating solutions to the infrastructure and well-being challenges facing their Nation and community. Currently, West Moberly First Nations’ connections to energy are unreliable, unpredictable, and costly, posing safety risks and connectivity concerns. WMFN are building a healthy, strong and better future for themselves, and are actively seeking technical support from UBC researchers and industry experts. West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) and their industry partner, WDusk, are preparing to implement a community-wide solar energy project in early summer 2023.
In partnership, and with CUES’ support, WMFN and the research team will continue to build relationships through community visits, laying the foundation to conduct in-person pre and post surveys with community members about the solar energy project, revealing important insights about the implications of renewable energy projects for community well-being. The UBC research team from community planning, engineering, and emerging technologies is committed to supporting the development of sustainable energy infrastructure to help advance Indigenous energy self-sufficiency and sovereignty.
Other project partners from the Faculty of Applied Science:
Dr. Elizabeth Saewyc, School of Nursing (x 2 projects)
May May Li (student), School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Sciences, UBC Vancouver
Dr. Helen Brown, School of Nursing, Faculty of Applied Science, UBC Vancouver