Vancouver, BC – The growth of economic activities in the Arctic, compounded with the ongoing global climate change crisis, has created an urgent need for new research priorities and initiatives in the North. Through a new partnership announced today, Mitacs and ArcticNet will collaborate to fund research projects that address research gaps and needs identified by end users in the region, including those defined by Indigenous leaders and communities, national and territorial governments, scientists, and international declarations.
Mitacs and ArcticNet will work to fund projects addressing priorities related to human health, natural, and social sciences in the Canadian North. These projects will be innovative, multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art, and inclusive — research borne of these projects will address the challenges and opportunities created by the rapidly changing natural environment and shifting social and cultural systems. The overall aim is to fund a balanced research portfolio that spans disciplines, geographies, and levels of impact from local communities to the global context.
The collaboration between Mitacs and ArcticNet will strengthen opportunities for the next generation of Arctic research by creating new pathways for access to talent and fostering critical research, including the impact brought by climate change and modernization in the Arctic region as well as challenges facing the remote and Indigenous communities that call the region home.
This call for proposals is endorsed as a contribution to the United Nations (UN) Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development, 2021–2030 and is partially funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
Applicants must submit their completed proposal by 5 p.m. ET on February 18, 2022. For more details and ArcticNet application forms visit ArcticNet.
Mitacs supplemental forms
Quotes
Dr. John Hepburn, CEO, Mitacs
“At a time of immense change and new challenges in the Arctic, the people who live there, along with governments, scientists, and the international community have identified research gaps in the region. Closing those gaps by driving new research and spearheading new regional initiatives will be critical in the years to come. Mitacs is thrilled to partner with ArcticNet to create opportunities for a new generation of Arctic researchers to build innovative and inclusive projects that address issues including climate change and challenges facing Indigenous communities.”
Dr. Christine Barnard, Executive Director, ArcticNet
“This new partnership between ArcticNet and Mitacs will strengthen and expand opportunities for the next generation of Arctic scientists, researchers, managers, and leaders. In a time of unprecedented change in the North with global repercussions, we must rally together and arm our nation with the knowledge and diverse skillsets needed for a healthy, sustainable Arctic.”
About Mitacs
- Mitacs is a not-for-profit organization that fosters growth and innovation in Canada by solving business challenges with research solutions from academic institutions.
- Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada along with the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
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