The Government of the Northwest Territories and the University of Alberta have signed a new research agreement to help generate critical insights into the environmental and geopolitical shifts facing the North.
Combining the territory’s Knowledge Agenda with the university’s strengths in research, education, and community engagement will provide a foundation to examine priorities in the North over the next decade.
“The outcomes of our partnership will help us address some of the grand challenges of our time and build resilient, enduring communities across the Northwest Territories for generations to come,” said U of A Vice President of Research Aminah Robinson Fayek.
Continuing until 2035, this partnership will focus on critical research into climate change, public health, agriculture, and other priorities related to the North and Arctic security.
The agreement is expected to help build local capacity in the NWT, expand access to scholarships and remote learning for NWT youth, and highlight potential job opportunities for recent graduates, helping to retain talent in the North.
“This agreement creates new opportunities for northern residents to participate in and benefit from research that reflects the realities and priorities of the Northwest Territories,” said Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change Robert Jenkins.
The agreement also establishes a framework to ensure research is Indigenous-led or co-developed with local communities, and that any data collection or use adheres to principles of Indigenous data sovereignty.
“The agreement formally recognizes the knowledge systems of Indigenous communities and peoples, and values the experiences of Indigenous communities living with and knowing of northern lands since time immemorial,” said U of A Vice-Provost for Indigenous Programming and Research Florence Glanfield.
