What we do

Supporting research excellence through collaborative partnerships and institutional reform

IRSI supports UBC's commitments to research excellence and reconciliation with the university's Indigenous community partners by working in two key areas.

Firstly, we provide professional research support and services to Indigenous communities and university researchers to undertake collaborative projects based on community-led interests, reciprocal relationships, and principles of mutual accountability. Some ways we support research collaborations are:

  • We provide pre-engagement support to project partners, such as being the first point of contact for Indigenous communities and researchers, matching research interests with community needs, providing training for effective collaborations and identifying funding sources and external partners.
  • We work with research partners during engagement by helping develop research agreements and engagement protocols, providing guidance on ethics and data management considerations and offering relationship management and conflict resolution.
  • We create opportunities for mutual learning by gathering feedback from partners and developing and promoting best practices based on their experiences.

Learn more about IRSI's support and services for Indigenous communities and for researchers.

Secondly, we work behind the scenes to transform the research culture at UBC and other institutions of higher learning by creating Principles of Engagement and best practices for working with Indigenous people and organizations. Learn more about our current projects aimed at transforming the research culture.

Read IRSI’s Strategic Framework.

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