National Arctic research hub awards over $4M in new funding for projects across the North
(Québec, Quebec) Canada’s Arctic research network has announced funding for 21 projects supporting a self-determined and sustainable Canadian North.
The projects will improve understanding in key priorities for the North, including climate change, human health, socioeconomic and cultural systems, biodiversity, resource management, and policy impacts.
ArcticNet partnered with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, Mitacs, and the Weston Family Foundation to fund the projects, which will receive over $4 million over 2 years.
10 of the new projects are receiving funding under the Inuit Qaujisarnirmut Pilirijjutit (IQP), the only Inuit-led, directed and governed research and training program in the world, that responds to a need for equitable access to funds for Inuit-led research. Part of ArcticNet’s North-by-North Program, the IQP directly advances Inuit self-determination, leadership and capacity in research.
ArcticNet’s new projects continue a long history of supporting multidisciplinary research excellence in the Canadian North. The nationwide Arctic research network partners with Indigenous communities, universities and colleges, federal and provincial government agencies, and international research organizations from around the world to deliver advanced scientific knowledge and understanding in areas of priority for the North. ArcticNet has funded hundreds of researchers and thousands of highly qualified personnel since its launch in 2004.
In recognition of the vital role the ocean plays in climate and sustainable development, four of the new projects are officially endorsed under the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), which is led globally by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. These projects, partially funded by DFO, address key priority areas in ocean and Arctic marine science, are urgently required given the impact of climate change.
Climate change, geopolitical tensions, increased economic activities in the North, and a growing recognition of the need for self-determination in research programs have created new priorities for Arctic-focused research. These new projects address research gaps, and respond to the needs identified by communities and other end-users (those who make use of research). Understanding a changing Arctic environment helps improve decision-making, economic development, conservation programs, and resource management for a sustainable and healthy future in the North.
Quotes:
“Canada is a proud Arctic nation and well positioned to make a meaningful contribution to the Ocean Decade, in the Arctic region. Through collaboration with ArcticNet, Fisheries and Oceans Canada supports innovative projects that encourage sustainability, while we work to enhance our ocean science capabilities in the North.”
— The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“ArcticNet is a longstanding partner of the Ocean Decade and we are delighted to work together to support these four new projects. Such commitment over the two-year period enables researchers to generate the knowledge base and transformative science solutions required, towards the long-term sustainable development of the ocean and Canadian North.”
— Julian Barbière, Global Coordinator of the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and Head of the Marine Policy and Regional Coordination Section of IOC-UNESCO.
“ArcticNet is proud to fund a new portfolio of projects that lead the world in research excellence while demonstrating the power of inclusive and Inuit-led research. The IQP awards showcase ArcticNet’s vision for Northern research by Northerners, and highlight the impressive expertise emerging from Inuit communities. ArcticNet continues to support research that works toward a better, more inclusive and sustainable future for the Canadian North.”
— Dr. Jackie Dawson, Scientific Director of ArcticNet.
“For hundreds of years Inuit have been observing, monitoring and studying their environment. Their attention to detail and remarkable story telling has enabled them to adapt and overcome challenges faced in the Arctic. We still hold our ancestor’s values to this day. We still observe, monitor and study our environment so that we can ensure its health and prosperity. With the Inuit Qaujisarnirmut Pilirijjutit, we have the ability to take monitoring into our own hands and tackle our own concerns and questions about our lifestyles, environment and the animals we rely on.”
— James Bolt, Chair of the Inuit Research Management Committee.
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For more information, please contact:
ArcticNet Communications and Events Coordinator | ebaird@uottawa.ca
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About ArcticNet:
Established in 2004 as a Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE), ArcticNet is Canada’s national hub for arctic research, bringing together more than 1,000 Arctic researchers and highly qualified personnel (HQP), engineers and managers studying human health, natural and social sciences in the Arctic.
With partners from 60 Indigenous communities, 40 Canadian universities and colleges, 8 federal and 11 provincial government agencies, ArcticNet works collaboratively with international research organizations including teams in Denmark, Finland, France, Greenland, Germany, Japan, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, please visit https://arcticnet.ulaval.ca.
About Fisheries and Oceans Canada:
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is responsible for safeguarding our waters and managing Canada’s fisheries and oceans resources. The Department helps to ensure healthy and sustainable aquatic ecosystems through habitat protection and sound science. We support economic growth in the marine and fisheries sectors, and innovation in areas such as aquaculture and biotechnology.
About the IQP:
The Inuit Qaujisarnirmut Pilirijjutit (IQP) is the Inuit-led sub-program of the North-by-North Program. It is led, directed and governed by Inuit via the Inuit Research Management Committee (IRMC). This committee is comprised of representatives from the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), Makivik Corporation, Kativik Regional Government (KRG), Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), and Nunatsiavut Government, with Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Canada and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) as observers.
The purpose of the IQP, the world’s first Inuit-led, directed and governed research and training program, is to enhance Inuit involvement and participation in research, build research capacity in Inuit communities, support innovate approaches to knowledge creation, and address Inuit community concerns and improve Inuit livelihoods.
About the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development:
Proclaimed in 2017 by the United Nations General Assembly, the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (‘the Ocean Decade’) seeks to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation to reverse the decline of the state of the ocean system and catalyze new opportunities for sustainable development of this massive marine ecosystem. The vision of the Ocean Decade is ‘the science we need for the ocean we want’. The Ocean Decade provides a convening framework for scientists and stakeholders from diverse sectors to develop the scientific knowledge and the partnerships needed to accelerate and harness advances in ocean science to achieve a better understanding of the ocean system, and deliver science-based solutions to achieve the 2030 Agenda. The UN General Assembly mandated UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) to coordinate the preparations and implementation of the Decade.