Nain Research Centre

The centre’s mission is to produce solution-driven knowledge at the research-policy interface to support action-oriented programs and the health and wellbeing of Inuit communities. Managed by the Environment Division of the Nunatsiavut Government, the Nain Research centre is also dedicated to nurturing and growing local capacity, including research-related capacity. They aim to support resilience in young people by building relationships with harvesters and the community and they are guided by Inuit culture and traditions, skills and values.

Summary of relevant work:

The Nain Research Centre’s current research projects include:

SakKijânginnatuk Nunalik (Sustainable Communities) Initiative: This initiative is made up of an inter-governmental, inter-departmental, multidisciplinary team of community leaders from the five coastal communities of Nunatsiavut working to inform best practices and provide guidance for community sustainability in the coastal subarctic under changing environmental, social, and economic conditions. The initiative addresses issues that are central to community wellbeing and sustainability in the context of a changing climate and has prioritized the areas of housing, community mapping, energy security, and food security.
- The food security program is specifically designed to address many inter-connected issues related to food security and community health. For example, Going Off, Growing Strong is an outreach program to enhance youth mental health by supporting social and cultural connections while improving food security.
Lake Melville: Avativut, Kanuittailinnivut: The Lake Melville program is a research monitoring program developed by the Nunatsiavut Government to establish baseline conditions for Inuit health, community wellbeing, and ecosystem integrity prior to industrial hydroelectric upstream of Inuit territory. The program’s two main goals are (1) to establish baseline conditions for Inuit health, community wellbeing and ecosystem function in Lake Melville and (2) to develop the science for monitoring the downstream effects of hydroelectric development on a subarctic estuary and coastal Intuit communities in the context of ongoing climate change impacts.
SmartICE (Sea-ice Monitoring And Real-Time Information for Coastal Environments): SmartICE is a community-university-industry collaboration that integrates adapted technology, remote sensing and Inuit knowledge to promote safe travel for all stakeholders in northern coastal environments.
Contaminants: Through a partnership with Nunatsiavut communities and many universities, the Nain Research Centre is conducting several long-range contaminant monitoring projects to facilitate contaminants research projects and to work with local hunters, researchers and youth to better understand contaminant levels in Nunatsiavut.