Funding

Over $1.28 million in funding awarded as
Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, or Primary Grant Writer

Insight Grant. “Empowering Emerging Adults through Compassion and Enhanced Social Connection: Co-creating a Compassionate Connection Oasis VR Toolkit (ccOasisVR)”.

Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee, SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council)
2025-2029
Role: Co-Investigator
Role: Primary Grant Writer
Dr. Bernhard Riecke (SFU)
Denise Quesnel (BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre), Dr. Alexandra Kitson (University of Victoria)

(CAD) $397,950

“Compassionate Design Approaches: Co-Developing Digital Therapeutics with Emerging Adults”.

Laurisa S. Dill Legacy Award, Mind & Life Institute.
2025-2027
Role: Principal Investigator
Denise Quesnel
Dr. Katarina Tabi (BC Children's Hospital & UBC)

(USD)$24,800 / (CAD)$34,300

“Pathways to flourishing: Leveraging Virtual Reality for cultivating compassion, resilience, social connectedness, and healthy habits in emerging adults facing chronic health challenges”. 

New Frontiers in Research-Exploration, Tri-Agency Interdisciplinary Peer Review Committee
2024-2026
Role: Primary Grant Writer
Bernhard Riecke (SFU)
Sylvain Moreno (SFU and Circle Innovation); Katarina Tabi (BC Children’s Hospital)
Awarded to high risk, high reward interdisciplinary research, this partnership-oriented research project explores novel co-design of a VR intervention to support the psychosocial well-being of emerging adults, contributing to compassionate design and filling a known inequity in health system integration.

(CAD) $250,000

“Developing an Equitable, Transdisciplinary Approach to Co-design of Virtual Reality”.

SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) Institutional Grant
2024-2026
Role: Primary Grant Writer
Bernhard Riecke (SFU)

(CAD) $7,000

“JeL: Synchronization through a Virtual Reality installation for interpersonal connection”.

SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) Insight Development Grant
2020-2022
Role: Assistant Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Bernhard Riecke (SFU) and Thecla Schiphorst (SFU)

(CAD) $72,875

“Positive Technologies for Enhanced Well-being: Designing VR Applications to Address the Social Consequences of Chronic Illness”. 

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship
2019-2023
Role: Principal Investigator
Principal Investigator: Denise Quesnel
Rank: 12th/167 international applications; $50,000/yr, four years. Vanier Scholars demonstrate leadership skills and a high standard of scholarly achievement.

(CAD) $200,000

“Virtual Earthgazing - A Countermeasure to Augment Sensory Stimulation during Long Duration Space Missions”.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Human Research Program
2019-2023
Role: Assistant Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Alexander Stahn, Riecke, Dr. Chouker, Dr. Gunga.

(USD) $100,000

“Development of a Semester in Alternate Reality”.

SFU Teaching and Learning Development Grant, Agile instructional inquiry
2019
Role: Assistant Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Bernhard Riecke (SFU) and Patrick Pennefather (UBC)

(CAD) $6000

“EarthGazement: Virtual Reality Experience of Overview Effect”. 

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Engage Grant
2017
Role: Primary Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Bernhard Riecke (SFU)
NGX Interactive

(CAD) $25,000

“Towards a ‘Perceptual Profiler’ for Virtual Reality: A Novel Unity Software Tool to Predict Human-Observer Reactions and Perceptual Issues using Machine Learning”.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Engage Grant
2016
Role: Assistant Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Bernhard Riecke (SFU)
Archiact Interactive

(CAD) $25000

“Understanding the Overview Effect Delivered through Virtual Reality for Creating Positive Change: Phenomenological and Quantitative Approaches”.

SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council) Institutional Grant
2014-2018
Role: Primary Grant Writer
Principal Investigators: Bernhard Riecke & Alissa Antle (SFU)

(CAD) $10,000