UCN Awarded Grants and Access to Innovation Funds

April 8, 2021

University College of the North Awarded Grants and Access to Innovation Funds

(The Pas and Thompson, MB) – University College of the North (UCN) was recently notified of grant awards and funding eligibility from various organizations.

“Research and innovation are key to growing University College of the North,” said UCN President and Vice Chancellor, Doug Lauvstad. “I’m proud of the work of faculty and staff who continue to grow research initiatives in the north.”

Director of the UCN Centre for Aboriginal Languages and Culture, Dr. Ramona Neckoway is part of research team which has been awarded a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) grant for $200,000.

Dr. Neckoway is one of three principal investigators on the project and UCN Aboriginal and Northern Studies Assistant Professor, Asfia Kamal, is a co‐investigator. The project is entitled “kitatipithitamak mithwayawin (Cree for control or sovereignty over wellbeing): Evaluating past, present, and future activities of an Indigenous led project on COVID‐19.” The work builds upon the activities of an existing project that focus on COVID‐19 and Indigenous people. “I’m excited to be able to continue to document the past, present and future impacts of pandemics and to support Indigenous communities as they respond to COVID‐19,” said Dr. Neckoway.

UCN has been awarded a $25,050 grant from the NIB Trust.

The project, called “Indigegogy Community of Practice by University College of the North”, will bring UCN Elders into a conversation about Indigenous content and pedagogy and connect that conversation with practice in UCN’s classrooms. UCN will create space and opportunity for Elders to further share with the UCN community. This will help strengthen bonds between faculty and the Elders, and develop learning materials that both reflect and propel an ever‐ evolving individual/collective learning about what Indigegogy means at UCN. “Elders are an essential source of knowledge for us,” said Associate Vice‐President, Reconciliation, Research & Academic Innovation, Harvey Briggs. “UCN is one of the few post secondary institutions that incorporates Elder teachings into curriculum.”

UCN is now eligible under the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI).

The CFI is a Federal Government initiative that supports the development of research capacity and infrastructure at Canadian colleges and universities. CFI funds research infrastructure such as laboratories, databases, scientific collections, computer hardware and software, communications linkages and buildings necessary to conduct leading edge research. UCN researchers are eligible to apply for CFI funding to support research projects. UCN will inform CFI once it has finalized its strategic research plan expected to be completed in Fall 2021.

Funding is awarded based on the merits of a successful research project application. “This new eligibility opens the opportunity to continue to grow research initiatives at UCN,” said Vice‐ President of Academic and Research, Dan Smith.

University College of the North provides learning opportunities to northern communities while respecting diverse Indigenous and northern values.

UCN.ca

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CONTACT: Monte Koshel

UCN Director of Communications

mkoshel@ucn.ca / 204.627.8244

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