The first Concordia professor and co-investigator to receive this honor, he is recognized for his contribution to research-creation and collaborative innovation led by Indigenous communities.

Jason Edward Lewis makes history at Concordia University as the first faculty member to receive the prestigious Impact Award from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) in the Partnership category. Valued at $50,000, this award celebrates exceptional collaborative work that advances research, trains the next generation, and enriches knowledge in the humanities and social sciences.

Innovating Through Culture and Technology

An artist, technologist, and co-investigator with the Hexagram Network, Jason Edward Lewis has spent more than 20 years exploring the materiality of computing and its cultural implications, particularly for Indigenous communities. His research-creation methodology seeks to ensure that technological development is grounded in diverse cultural frameworks, beyond dominant Eurocentric perspectives.

Professor Lewis co-founded the Indigenous Futures Research Centre at Concordia and leads major initiatives such as Abundant Intelligences and Indigenous Territories in Cyberspace, which bring together artists, scholars, students, and Indigenous communities across Canada, the United States, New Zealand, and beyond to develop innovative approaches to artificial intelligence, digital media, and Indigenous futures.

Training the Next Generation

Throughout his career, Jason Edward Lewis has supervised more than 100 undergraduate research assistants and numerous graduate students, integrating them into interdisciplinary collaborative projects. His approach emphasizes both technical excellence and cultural responsibility, creating pathways for emerging Indigenous scholars and artists.

According to Tim Evans, Vice-President of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Mobilization at Concordia, “The SSHRC Impact Award recognizes not only Jason Edward Lewis’s outstanding contributions to research, but also his leadership in pioneering global convergence between arts, culture, and technology—an inspiration for the next generation of researchers.”

Source :

Christian Durand
Senior Communications Advisor, Research and Graduate Studies
Concordia University

Published on December 2, 2025

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