Objective Three

Seek and nurture collaborations that enable solutions-oriented research and strengthen the student experience.

Actions

Meaningful partnerships within and beyond academia are foundational to the ESRC’s mission. In the past, we have engaged in innovative partnerships with Brock’s Facilities Management, the Niagara Parks Commission, the Ontario Trails Council, the Freshwater Division of World Wildlife Fund-Canada, seven municipalities within Niagara including the Town of Lincoln, and the Government of the Northwest Territories. Going forward, we will continue to seek these types of collaborations and cultivate partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations, and those who identify as Black and/or African and/or of Caribbean descent. This objective emphasizes the critical, ongoing role of collaboration in creating meaningful research and practical experiences for students, and in contributing to co-creating contextual, holistic solutions to sustainability issues.

Centre knowledge co-production and transdisciplinarity in research

The ESRC will continue to engage in high-impact research that crosses disciplinary boundaries and includes partners from outside the academy, such as members of the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network, Plenty Canada, and the Niagara Climate Change Action Network. ESRC understands transdisciplinarity as a process that engages partners from research idea and design through to implementation and impact evaluation, rather than merely in data collection or verification. ESRC operates under the assumption that sustainability research and practice is most effective when it is co-produced by academics and non-academics.

Emphasize student opportunities in collaborations

From student research to experiential education, collaborations with academics from multiple disciplines and non-academic partners such as those listed above present endless opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Continued provision and exploration of these opportunities remains a top priority for the ESRC.

Strategic Plan 2024–2029

Learn more about the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre’s strategic priorities.

The ESRC's Strategic Plan