Grants and Contributions

This project will strengthen community-based wildlife health surveillance for caribou and muskoxen in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut by expanding monitoring, improving data sharing, and increasing northern training opportunities. Led through partnerships among northern communities, Indigenous organizations, governments, and researchers, the project combines Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western science to better understand wildlife health threats, support conservation and public health decisions, and enhance food security and sovereignty. By maintaining a northern research hub in Yellowknife and growing surveillance efforts into new regions, the project will build local capacity and improve long-term monitoring of Arctic wildlife health.

Through partnerships within the Northwest Territories Biodiversity Monitoring Program, the research will explore data governance practices and use wildlife monitoring data to assess how culturally important ungulates and game birds respond to wildfire disturbances.

This project will establish a community-led water monitoring program in Qikiqtarjuaq to address concerns about drinking water quality and the potential impacts of climate change on local freshwater sources. By training local youth and community members to monitor bacteria and aquatic indicators of water quality, the project will build local capacity, generate community-owned knowledge, and assess the safety of both municipal and traditional water sources. The initiative will support informed water stewardship, strengthen community trust in water quality information, and promote climate adaptation through the active involvement of Elders, youth, and women.

This project will co-develop a community-based wildlife health surveillance framework with Yukon First Nation governments to support monitoring of wildlife health, food safety, and emerging disease risks in a changing Arctic environment. Using a One Health approach that connects human, animal, and environmental health, the project will bring together Indigenous knowledge holders, harvesters, youth, researchers, and governments to identify priorities, develop monitoring tools, and guide data collection and interpretation. By providing training and mentorship opportunities, the initiative will strengthen local capacity, support Indigenous self-determination in wildlife stewardship, and improve decision-making related to wildlife management, public health, and climate adaptation.

This project will examine the experiences of Indigenous nursing graduates in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut to better understand barriers and supports related to completing licensing exams required for professional nursing practice. Guided by an Indigenous Nurse Research Advisory Council and informed by interviews with Indigenous nursing graduates, the project will develop recommendations to strengthen nursing education, exam preparation, and student success in the North. By supporting Indigenous representation and leadership in healthcare, the project aims to enhance the northern health workforce, improve culturally safe care, and build long-term local capacity in the health sector.

This project will support the Tundra Science and Culture Camp, an immersive eight-day educational program that brings together high school students, educators, researchers, and Tłı̨chǫ knowledge holders to learn about tundra ecosystems, Indigenous culture, environmental stewardship, and northern science. Through hands-on field experiences, cultural activities, and inquiry-based learning at the Tundra Ecosystem Research Station, participants develop knowledge of Arctic landscapes, wildlife, resource management, and traditional knowledge. The program strengthens cross-cultural understanding, builds northern capacity in science and environmental education, and inspires future careers in natural sciences, environmental studies, and related fields.

This project will expand wildlife and environmental monitoring programs into a remote area of the Mackenzie Mountains in the Northwest Territories to improve understanding of caribou populations, water quality, bird biodiversity, lichen habitat, and fish habitat.

By combining Inuit knowledge with innovative environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling, the project will map and verify the presence of key species such as caribou, bears, foxes, and waterfowl while enhancing understanding of ecological change over time. The initiative will also build local capacity through hands-on training for Inuit students and share findings through accessible maps, reports, and Inuktitut-language communications to support sustainable land use and community-driven research.

Building on the success of earlier camps, the Summer 2026 camp in Nain will focus on the marine environment and include field-based learning experiences, such as a research cruise, that connect participants to local ecosystems and research methods. The initiative will strengthen relationships between youth, communities, and scientists while helping build northern research capacity and inspiring future Inuit leaders in science and environmental stewardship.

By combining long-term ecological research with Indigenous knowledge, including studies on ravens, waste management, and environmental contaminants, the project will promote community-driven research and accessible knowledge sharing through collaborations with local artists. The initiative will help build northern research capacity, create local learning and employment opportunities, and support informed environmental decision-making across communities in Nunavut and Nunavik.