A new paper-thin, flexible tablet developed by GRAND researchers at the Queen’s University Human Media Lab, in partnership with Intel Labs and Plastic Logic, promises to radically change the way users interact with digital media.

Research-based recommendations for how mobile technologies are part of the financially responsible solution to providing better access to services for Ontarians.

Far from making us lonely, social research lead by GRAND investigators Barry Wellman (University of Toronto) and Jason Nolan (Ryerson University) shows that online networking is creating new opportunities for meaningful social interaction.

Coders made creative use of software being developed by GRAND researchers at McGill University.

Program launched in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts to promote innovative new media works.

An intensive ten-week program piloted by GRAND and international game developer Funcom last summer shows how interns and game studios can get more out of internships.

GRAND PNI Barry Wellman and Lee Rainie received 2nd prize for the PROSE award in Sociology & Social Work from the Association of American Publishers for their book Networked.

The Euphoria and Dystopia Symposium held in Toronto last January pondered the digital concerns of the 1990s and early 20th century in view of recent research, industrial, social and cultural trends.

Research extended through CHRP award joins expertise from two NCEs to explore video games as a viable treatment for children with disabilities.

Check out some of the many diverse and innovative projects in the GRAND network.

The ANSWER-2 decision aid to be developed through the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada will help improve the uptake of medical treatment by patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Suzanne Fortier, President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Chair of the Networks of Centres of Excellence Steering Committee, was announced today as the next Principal and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University.

By making computers smarter about tactile information, researchers are hoping to also make them more human.

“Boutique” laboratory has created some groundbreaking prototypes that have made international headlines.

GRAND Director of Health Research Dr. Diane Gromala is working with researchers and physicians on leading health research with the potential to help millions suffering from long-term pain.

The International Conference on Japan Game Studies held in Kyoto, Japan this May will bring together scholars from Ritumeikan University and Canadian universities for a cross-cultural discussion on game research.

GRAND NCE invites applications and nominations for the position of Scientific Director.

Dalhousie professor set to accelerate research into social media and online networks with new state-of-the-art laboratory.

Second annual workshop looks at successes and the future of international cooperation in visual analytics research between Canada, Brazil and Boeing.

Former IGDA executive director, international consultant and GRAND RMC member is cultivating a new “ecosystem” for Canada’s games industry with greater support for entrepreneurship.

The latest research in mobile technology at Queen’s University's Human Media Lab has developed paper-thin devices that react in 3D.

The leading online review service for computing publications has recommended SFU professor Dr. Alissa Antle's paper entitled "Embodied metaphors in tangible interaction design" as one of the best of 2012.

Fourth annual conference hosts networking, discussion and exchange for industry and academic delegates from around the globe.

Network researcher Dr. Jennifer Jenson is engaging academics, activists and industry in one of the biggest challenges facing the games industry.

Humanities Computing graduate Jennifer Windsor has collaborated with Alberta doctors to create an interactive visualization tool that helps make complex provincial data on colorectal cancer easy-to-understand. (UAlberta website)

GRAND research wins in three of 16 categories at the annual industry-led award ceremony.

Dalhousie University's Social Media Lab director, Dr. Anatoliy Gruzd, is a SSHRC Insight Grant co-recipient for his proposed "Learning Analytics for the Social Media Age" research initiative.

12th annual Symposium on Computer Animation in Anaheim (July 19-21, 2013) a major international forum for researchers and practitioners working on all aspects of computer animation.

UBC Computer Science Associate Professor Cristina Conati and PhD student Samad Kardan receive the 2013 UMAP Best Paper Award for their work on Comparing and Combining Eye Gaze and Interface Actions for Determining User Learning with an Interactive Simulation.

SFU Human-Computer Interaction expert Dr. Alissa Antle is designing a biofeedback tablet game to help disadvantaged children in Nepal recover from trauma and succeed in school.

Computer Science PhD student and artist Tiffany C. Inglis has taken an algorithmic approach to creating and enhancing digital art with beautiful results.

Engelbart's legacy includes a generation (or more) who grew up thinking that a computer mouse was as much an everday necessity of life as previous generations had assumed they would have access to electricity, indoor plumbing, and clean drinking water.

He was a visionary that inspired many who worked with him who went on to make significant contributions of their own.

Tweetris - a full-body interactive game combining yoga, Tetris and Twitter - was awarded Best Contribution to Creative Communication at the 2013 ACM Conference on Creativity & Cognition held in Sydney Australia.

Dr. Wolfgang Heidrich was one of three Fellows of the Eurographics Association elected during EUROGRAPHICS'2013 in Girona, Spain, for his significant contribution to the development of Computer Graphics and to the organization of the Eurographics Association.

Dr. Ken Perlin, one of the most influential innovators in computer graphics, shares the latest out of NYU's Media Research Lab at Vancouver’s Centre for Digital Media and Emily Carr University.

Centre for Digital Media instructor Dr. Kimberly Voll is bringing together developers, designers and artists to create games for social change.

GRAND is proud to sponsor the 2013 Sustainable Design Awards - an annual student initiative created to engage post-secondary students in sustainable design.

Inaugural event provided over 350 GRAND researchers, students and post-docs in attendance with important exposure to industry, as well as exposing industry representatives to current academic research in digital media.

A new developer-friendly open-source library released by UBC’s Human Communication Technologies Laboratory helps pave the way for new applications in computer vision.

GRAND research will share the spotlight at the world's leading conference in the field of Human Computer Interaction focused on mobile devices.

GRAND an event sponsor at Bridges 2013 in Enschede, The Netherlands – the largest international conference on mathematical art.

Computing Science PhD student Naureen Nizam (Dalhousie) reports on her visit to the 2013 Digital Societies and Social Technologies Summer Institute (University of Maryland), July 28-August 1, 2013. GRAND was a sponsor of the event.

PhD student Claude Fortin (SFU) reports on her visit to the 2013 Digital Societies and Social Technologies Summer Institute (University of Maryland), July 28-August 1, 2013. GRAND was a sponsor of the event.

Computing science PhD student Farjana Eishita (Saskatchewan) reports on her visit to the 2013 Digital Societies and Social Technologies Summer Institute (University of Maryland), July 28-August 1, 2013. GRAND was a sponsor of the event.

The 2013 Digital Societies and Social Technologies Summer Institute at the University of Maryland offered three GRAND doctoral students a platform for discussion and collaboration on leading-edge research. Read their reflections on the event in our Q Reviews blog.

2013 International Conference on Social Media and Society (Sept 14-15) to host academic and industry experts in social media and online social networks in an exchange of ideas on how to study the impact of social media on our society.

Upcoming open lecture on Greenest City Conversations project to discuss how interactive media can engage public discussion around urban sustainability policies and practices.

Two-player, dancing-fighting game Propinquity has been selected for the Night Games carnival at the upcoming international independent game festival.

Cross-disciplinary collaborations are increasing in frequency, and science policymakersare touting their abilities to solve big problems in society. But while such partnerships can offer scientists rewarding opportunities, there are also risks and pitfalls for young scientists to be aware of.

Nearly 200 researchers and professionals attended Canada’s second major interdisciplinary symposium looking at the effects of social media on society, hosted by Dalhousie University.

University of Alberta master’s student David Holmes and his game development team have launched a new start-up to commercialize their award-winning video game Life Goes On.

Jason Della Rocca, member of the GRAND Research Management Committee and a co-founder of Execution Labs, will present on the challenges that face the Indie game movement and how Social Science research can help ensure Canada’s place as a world leader in game production.

GRAND is pleased to have been a partner in the sold-out Gamification 2013 international gaming conference in Stratford, Ontario (October 2-4, 2013).

Congratulations to Drs. Scott Bateman, (University of Prince Edward Island), Michael Smit (Dalhousie University), and Daniel Vogel (University of Waterloo).

Featured at Nocturne, Halifax’s nighttime art festival, the game is part of a valuable field study in human-computer interaction led by Dr. Derek Reilly at Dalhousie University (Global).

Researchers in GRAND's CPRM (Confronting Pain: Redefining Mobility) project presented groundbreaking chronic pain research at the 8th EFIC (European Federation of IASP Chapters) Pain in Europe Congress (National Pain Report).

The award, presented by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, recognized Martin for his contribution to education as the creator of the SMART Board® interactive whiteboard.

U of S computer science PhD student Kathrin Gerling is designing some of the first video games specifically for aging adults. (This article first ran as part of the 2013 Young Innovators series, an initiative of the U of S Research Profile Office in partnership with the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.)

The Sustainable Design Awards – a student-led initiative co-founded by former GRAND HQP and tech entrepreneur Mike Lovas – announced the winners of its third annual competition.

Researchers from across Canada took part in a major international forum in Montréal looking at the evolving digital world, its opportunities, challenges, and impacts.

Created in collaboration with Canadian and Dutch researchers, the Developmentally Situated Design (DSD) card set aids designers working on interactive devices for children.

New program co-ordinated by GRAND researcher Sean Gouglas combines students' talents in computing science, art, music and design.

The Experiential Design and Gaming Environments (EDGE) lab at Ryerson University is helping students turn good ideas into social enterprises.

The University of Alberta will be home to Alberta’s first hackathon in healthcare when Hacking Health comes to Edmonton Nov. 22 to 24.

Get the latest news and events from across the GRAND Network plus leading developments in Canadian digital media research.

GRAND-initiated partnership utilizes breakthrough 3D printing material developed at Emily Carr University of Art + Design to generate low-cost surgical models for researchers at the University of Alberta.

The Canadian Digital Media Network will receive a funding extension over 5 years as the result of a competition held by the Centres of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR) program.

Concordia sociologist Dr. Jen Whitson examines how analytics are shaping the industry for better and, more pressingly, for worse.

Second Montreal Fall Graphics Retreat brings together students and faculty to discuss work in progress.

GRAND to introduce renewed research program focused on tackling problems of importance to Canada. New projects expected to come on line April 2014.

Presented by GRAND, the annual CDMPAs honour one or more outstanding Canadians who have made significant and pioneering contributions to the advancement of digital media.

Second international conference an opportunity to strengthen GRAND’s research partnerships and exchanges with Brazilian universities.

GRAND helps bring Hacking Health to Alberta with the province’s first 48-hour coding jam focused on health.

Audio-tactile chair developed by VibraFusionLab in conjunction with Ryerson University’s Inclusive Media and Design Centre to be used at Orchestra London’s Christmas concert (CTVLondon).

Experimental “Speaker’s Corner” in the heart of Montréal’s Quartier des Spectacles offers insight into interactive media’s impact on public space.

Co-leaders of Digital Games for Learning and Training (DIGLT) Drs. Geoffrey Rockwell (U of A) and Christina Conati (UBC) are researching the mechanics of good game design. (Profile by CommerceLab)

Carleton University students and researchers are working on locative games for education, critical tourism and heritage conservation that use urban spaces as a platform.

A guest blog post by Jeremy Mamisao, an undergraduate Research Assistant at Simon Fraser University's Pain Studies Lab.

Six Canadian scientists and researchers look at whether the visual quality of 3-D virtual environments can be improved by auditory cues. (CommerceLab)

The Network's fifth annual conference (May 14-16, 2014 in Ottawa, ON) will present a full range of multidisciplinary digital media research and innovation from its 26 member universities. To register, visit grand-nce.ca/grand2014

In case you missed them the first time, we have rounded up some of our top news stories from the past year with some updates.