The funding will be used towards establishing the our lab, where we will continue to investigate how and why individuals from different neighbourhoods, cities, provinces, and countries differ in psychological characteristics and what that means for individuals (micro-level) and the areas they live in (macro-level). Powered by the big data revolution, our research combines large-scale geo-tagged personality data and real-world macro-level outcomes with advanced machine learning algorithms, multilevel modelling and spatial econometrics. At its heart, the PANGEA Lab will feature cutting-edge work stations that enable efficient data handling, computationally-intensive modelling, and the creation of rich geo-psychological databases and state-of-the art web conferencing facilities to nurture our globe-spanning research collaborations with partners in academia and industry. Once built, the PANGEA Lab will offer a world-class multidisciplinary training environment that will attract the brightest minds from Canada and the world, boost competitiveness for external funding that will bring new jobs, and yield policy-relevant insights on–and hence future improvement of–the political, economic, social, and health conditions of the places that Canadians call home.
Read more about the PANGEA Lab and CFI grant here: https://psych.ubc.ca/news/gotz-cfi-jelf/