Support for UVic research, innovation

University of Victoria faculty who are leaders in Indigenous law, renewable energy research, substance use policy and marine fisheries adaptation are named Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) today in an announcement by François-Philippe Champagne, the federal minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.

Jaime Arredondo Sanchez Lira, John Borrows, Christina Hoicka and Loren McClenachan are announced the CRCs for the 2020-2 cycle, which includes 188 new and renewed chairs and approximately $151 million in funding at 43 research institutions.

Jaime Arredondo Sanchez Lira, Public Health and Social Policy/CISUR

Arredondo is an assistant professor in UVic’s School of Public Health and Social Policy and a scientist with the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research (CISUR). Arredondo’s CRC research seeks to raise awareness about the need for a common responsibility in dealing with substance-use harms and help improve the lives of people who use substances. His current work near the Mexico-US border includes helping supervised consumption sites, implementing Mexico’s first fentanyl-detection system and developing community overdose responses.

John Borrows, Indigenous Law

Borrows is co-founder of the world’s first Indigenous law degree program at UVic and was first appointed a CRC (Tier 1) in 2017. He studies how Indigenous Peoples learn and practice law in relation to land and water. Through the lens of Anishinaabe law, Borrows examines the future of Indigenous courts, treaty rights and land- and water-based legal education and practice. With support from this CRC renewal, the goal of his research is to create new legal frameworks to resolve disputes within Indigenous and other communities.

Christina Hoicka, Geography/Civil Engineering

Hoicka’s interdisciplinary CRC research program focuses on just and renewable energy transitions for societal transformation in BC and Canada, and around the world. She combines the fields of energy geography and socio-technical sustainability transitions to examine how urban and rural communities experience renewable energy transitions differently, and to aid understanding of how such transitions can lead to new economic relationships and improved socioeconomic impacts for communities.

Loren McClenachan, History/Environmental Studies

McClenachan’s research integrates environmental history, historical ecology and social science to inform marine conservation. At UVic, McClenachan will train interdisciplinary scholars equipped to tackle the large-scale and unprecedented threats to oceans. She will also use applied historical research to address marine fisheries sustainability and climate adaptation while including Indigenous perspectives. Her collaborative and interdisciplinary approach aims to support the goals of increased ocean sustainability, fisheries productivity and social equity in resource management.

In addition to the latest Canada Research Chairs, in a virtual event today with representatives of the federal research funding agencies and funding recipients, Champagne also announced the results of the New Frontiers in Research Fund 2020 Transformation Competition and the federal government also announced the recipients of Tri-Agency Scholarships and Fellowships as well as Canada Graduate Scholarships.

The federal government also announced the recipients of Tri-Agency Scholarships and Fellowships as well as Canada Graduate Scholarships.

Read more about UVic trio part of biodiversity project awarded $24M that includes research by Julia Baum, David Castle and Crystal Tremblay.

Read more about UBC researchers lead $24 million project to treat spinal cord injury that includes research by Stephanie Willerth.

Read the Government of Canada’s news release here.​