Spring 2026 was particularly fruitful for the Hexagram Network. In total, more than 30 members received research funding or participated as principal investigators, co-investigators, supervisors, or co-supervisors on projects funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ).

From master’s and doctoral scholarships to team grants, including Insight Grants, Connection Grants, and intersectoral funding competitions, these achievements demonstrate the vitality of a research environment in which the boundaries between the arts, sciences, technology, design, and the humanities are increasingly porous.

Hexagram: An Incubator for Emerging Researchers

The strong representation of graduate students among this year’s recipients also highlights the vitality of our training environment. This year, 14 SSHRC and FRQ master’s and doctoral scholarships were awarded to students supervised or co-supervised by our members, or to graduate student members themselves. These distinctions reflect the quality of mentorship offered within our community and underscore the importance of research-creation in training the next generation of researchers and creative practitioners.

The funded projects explore issues related to digital cultures, contemporary artistic practices, sensory experience, interactive media, performance, and the relationships between technology, society, and creativity, reflecting both the breadth and relevance of the expertise developed within our network for emerging scholars and creators.

Research Themes that Connect the Projects

Several unifying themes emerge across this year’s funded initiatives. Questions surrounding the relationships between humans, technologies, and environments run through many of the projects, whether they focus on open models and artificial intelligence, digital creativity, urban sensory experiences, computational ecologies, or posthuman imaginaries.

Other projects explore dialogues between Black dramaturgy, performative practices, media arts, the built environment, materials science, and social innovation. Still others investigate how knowledge emerges through sensory experience, public participation, or collaborations across traditionally distinct disciplines.

Together, these projects paint a picture of a research community committed to understanding and transforming the contemporary world through approaches that combine creativity, innovation, and critical inquiry.

A Clear Trend

The results of this spring’s competitions point to a clear trend: Canadian and Quebec research funding agencies increasingly recognize research-creation as a vital mode of knowledge production. The projects supported this year illustrate the growing importance of approaches that bring together the arts, sciences, technologies, and humanities to address today’s most pressing challenges. From sensory research to digital ecologies, and from embodied experience to posthuman imaginaries, our members continue to shape the field of research-creation at both the provincial and national levels.

Cover Image : Adobe Stock, ^_ⒸKevin Booth.

Published on July 9, 2026.

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Complete List of Recipients

*Hexagram Network’s members

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