Banner Photo: Alison Perrin
Examining research policy and practice in Canada’s North to support evidence-based decision-making
2018 – 2022
Funded by: Government of Yukon, Polar Knowledge Canada, Northern Scientific Training Program, POLAR Northern Resident Scholarship (ACUNS)
For years both northerners and researchers have expressed concerns about how research happens in northern Canada, what topics it is focused on, who is involved, who makes decisions, and where the benefits and investments land. Northern governments and organizations have identified the need for relevant research, accessible results, and engagement with northern communities. Northerners want to see tangible benefits from research for their region whether it is for improving policy, supporting community well-being, building a local knowledge economy, or building capacity through education or infrastructure. Currently, there is only anecdotal evidence of recent efforts to improve research in the North. This project aims to fill that gap by providing evidence on the current state of research, how it has improved, and what still needs to be done to inform future research programs and policies.
The goal of this project is to understand the ways in which decisions are made about research in the Canadian North, how the practice of research aligns with northern and Indigenous research priorities and principles, and how research is impacting decision-making in northern and Indigenous governments and organizations. Through an examination of current and past research experiences, research policy documents, and research licensing databases, we will investigate how the policies that guide research in the North support or limit northern leadership of research, and address northern priorities and knowledge needs.
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