Manu’s Pathway
Dr. Sharma’s record reflects sustained excellence in research, scholarly activity, and creative knowledge dissemination. Her work is distinguished by national leadership, competitive federal funding, and a sustained commitment to mentoring students and building research capacity at Thompson Rivers University and across Canada. Collectively, her contributions represent not only individual scholarly achievement but a substantive and enduring impact on the vitality, direction, and institutional infrastructure of social justice education in Canada. Through the creation of national scholarly platforms, governance structures, and knowledge mobilization initiatives, she has helped shape social justice education as a field that will continue to support research, mentorship, and equity-oriented leadership beyond her own term of service.
Overview of Research Highlights
Submitted in response to award criteria for sustained excellence in research and scholarly activity.
The Award for Excellence in Scholarship recognizes excellence in research, scholarly activity or the production of creative works over a sustained period of time that represents a significant contribution to the field of inquiry.
https://www.tru.ca/research/research-services/research-services-faculty/research-awards.html
- 18 published peer-reviewed journal articles, 2 accepted= 20 articles
- 10 published peer-reviewed book chapters, 1 accepted= 11 chapters
- 2 scholarly books (1 co-edited volume; 1 co-authored)
- 2 peer-reviewed special issues (Co-Guest Editor)
- SSHRC Insight Development Grant (Principal Investigator): $62,920
- Tk̓ emlúps te Secwépemc Respectful Research Relations Fund (Principal Investigator): $33,000
- Multiple SSHRC Exchange Grants
- Sustained internal competitive research funding
- 70+ refereed conference presentations
- 25+ international conferences (AERA, AARE, ATEE Europe, ELA, AESA)
- 40+ national conferences (CSSE, CAPSLE, CATE, etc.)
- 38 invited scholarly presentations
- 5 keynote or featured addresses
- Primary supervision of 13 M.Ed. research projects
- Service on 8 additional thesis committees
- Mentorship of 10+ funded graduate research assistants
- Supervision of undergraduate research assistants
- Over 30 graduate and undergraduate trainees formally mentored
- Founder and President, Canadian Association for Social Justice Education (250+ members)
- Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Journal for Social Justice Education (peer-reviewed)
- Editorial board member and special issue editor
- External examiner and SSHRC grant reviewer
Most Significant Contributions
National Field-Building Leadership in Social Justice Education
Founder and President of the Canadian Association for Social Justice Education (CASJE), a national scholarly network of 250+ members.
Dr. Sharma established governance structures, convenes a national executive, and has built sustained infrastructure supporting mentorship, collaboration, and scholarly exchange across Canada.
Creation of Scholarly Infrastructure: Founding of the Journal for Social Justice Education
Founder and Editor-in-Chief of a peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal dedicated to rigorous social justice scholarship.
The journal provides a national and international platform for critical inquiry, diverse epistemologies, and equity-oriented research dissemination.
Sustained Competitive Research Funding and Programmatic Scholarship
Principal Investigator of a SSHRC Insight Development Grant ($62,920) examining social justice initiatives in Canadian secondary schools.
This multi-site qualitative study contributes a Canadian comparative perspective to urban schooling and equity research and forms the foundation for a larger SSHRC Insight submission.
Innovative Research-Informed Teaching and Curriculum Development
Development of research-integrated graduate courses, including Parent Power: Leading for Inclusive and Equitable Schools (launching 2026).
Dr. Sharma integrates community engaged research, participatory methodologies, and critical theory into curriculum design, contributing to the training of highly qualified personnel.
Founder and host of Social Justice Chatter Matters
A public-facing scholarly podcast integrating research dissemination and student training
Active engagement with District Parent Advisory Council and community partners to mobilize research into policy and practice contexts.