Research Initiatives

With a strong reputation for collaborative research, UBC Anthropology is involved in a vast array of research projects and programs, including with various research units at UBC.


Major Partnerships


Major Recent Faculty Grants

Canada Foundation for Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders’ Fund (CFI-JELF)

  • CEDaR: Community Engaged Documentation and Research Space, Prof. Rosenblum

Canada Council

  • Dark Skies: New Media Art Installation, Prof. Levell

Canadian Foundation for Innovation/BC Knowledge Development Fund

  • Establishing an Ancient DNA and Protein (ADαPT) facility at UBC, Prof. Speller

Kids Brain Health Network (National Centre of Excellence)

  • Physical Activity Programs for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Their Families: Community Partnerships to Implement the New Physical Activity Coaching (New-PAC) Intervention, Prof. McKellin

Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research

  • Implementing Physical Activity Programs in Communities for Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Prof. McKellin

Natural Sciences and Energy Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

  • Mapping Long-term Patterns of Marine Biodiversity and Complexity through Biomolecular Analysis of Archaeological Archives, Dr. Speller

Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

  • Following the Soy Supply Chains: The Infrastructure of the Argentine Soy Boom, Prof. Gordillo
  • Contested Landscapes: The Social Complexity of Natural Gas Extraction in a Marine Protected Area in Tanzania, Prof. Kamat
  • Cartographies of Deep Time: Explaining Tsimshian History through Archaeological, Environmental, and Oral Records, Prof. Martindale
  • Understanding Chains of Production from the Mountains to the Sea, Prof. Menzies
  • Taking Action on First Nations Language Priorities, Prof. Moore
  • Women’s Activism Against Drug War Violence, Prof. Muehlmann
  • Expertise, Labour and Mobility in Nepal’s Post-Conflict, Post-Disaster Transformation, Prof. Shneiderman
  • Paleoproteomics: A new frontier in the study of Indigenous plant use in the Americas, Prof. Speller
  • Relational Lexicography: New Approaches to Community-Informed Dictionary Work, Prof. Turin

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

  • Indigenous Internship Program, Prof. Rowley

Major Faculty Projects

Kaska Language Project

Prof. Patrick Moore


Ethnographic Film Unit

The Ethnographic Film Unit is an anthropological digital video production unit at UBC Vancouver. With a primary focus on film production and research, the unit draws upon the combined strengths of anthropologists, filmmakers, students, and community members.

Using the language of documentary video, the unit explores issues of environmentally and socially responsible resource use that prioritizes collaborative community-based practice.

These broadcast-quality videos are an active research tool and are used in high school and university classrooms, conferences, workshops, and film festivals.


Digital Culture Lab

The Digital Culture Lab (DCL) is a space for faculty, students, and partners to develop new projects and pursue new media ventures.

As an emerging space, the DCL has a key partnership with the Ethnographic Film Unit, and welcomes additional partnerships as well. The DCL aims to support wide-ranging and innovative collaboration in the realm of digital and virtual media production.

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