On September 24, 2024, adam patrick bell, Associate Professor of music education and Canada Research Chair in Music, Inclusion and Accessibility with the Don Wright Faculty of Music at Western University sat down with Assistant Dean of Research, Emily Ansari, to talk about going for (and getting) major partnership research grants.

adam has held (and holds) a large number of tri-council research grants. He has, through these grants, built a substantial and far-reaching program of research with collaborators across the globe. He has also provided funding for numerous students through his grants, which many current Western students now benefit from. His three current projects are:

• Disability-Led Musical Instrument Design (funded by a SSHRC Insight Grant)
• Canadian Accessible Musical Instruments Network (funded by a SSHRC Partnership Development Grant) (www.camin.network)
• Facilitating Anti-Ableist Remote Music Making (funding by SSHRC’s Race, Gender, & Diversity Initiative)

In this live, casual conversation, adam and Emily talk about the challenges and opportunities of applying for and holding large external grants; what grant funding has meant for the scope and impact of his research program; different ways to incorporate students in to large grant-funded projects, as well as the benefits to students of participation, and subsequent benefits to the project; and the possibilities of SSHRC’s various partnership grants for connecting arts-related research with the needs of other arts-related institutions and communities.