Research Licensing in the North

Scientific research licences, permits and other approvals are required for research activities in Canada’s North.  Regulatory processes are in place to ensure that the air, land, wildlife, water, people and historic sites in the Arctic are protected. They also make certain that northern communities are informed of the research activities, the results and benefits that this research will provide.  Permitting and licensing in the North are covered by territorial, federal and land claim legislation, which varies by location.

Canadian Arctic Research Licensing Initiative (CARLI)

The Government of Canada International Polar Year Federal Program is partnering with Northern organizations on the Canadian Arctic Research Licensing Initiative which is designed to:

1. Build relationships, share best practices and improve communications and expectations about science licensing amongst northern regulators, Aboriginal organizations and researchers/industry;
   
   
2. Explore the possibilities for coordination in the various northern research-related application, approval and reporting processes within the current regulatory legislation; and based on this
   
   
3. Develop projects and information to improve the scientific licensing application and approval process that will benefit northern regulatory bodies, Aboriginal organizations, northern communities, and future northern science programs and activities.

A national Advisory Committee has been established to provide advice and information on the issues and challenges in northern research licensing.  Committee members include representatives from the northern regulatory organizations in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Yukon, community/Aboriginal representatives, funding agencies (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, ArcticNet, and the Northern Contaminants Program), and northern research scientists.  Representatives from the Nunavik and Nunatsiavut regional governments have also been invited to participate in the Advisory Committee to learn about best practices and recommendations for implementing future research licensing in their regions.

During 2009, assessments of the current northern research licensing application, approval and reporting processes were conducted. In 2010 these assessments were presented to northern regulators, Aboriginal/community organizations and researchers at workshops to identify gaps, prioritize recommendations and discuss possible initiatives that could be implemented by 2012. A series of seven workshops and consultations took place in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Ottawa that included more than 100 stakeholders, with over 80% of these participants coming from northern Canada.

Feedback from the northern research licensing stakeholders at the CARLI workshops was used to define the funding objectives and eligibility for this request for proposals.

Proposals have been requested from territorial research licensing regulators for the development of Territorial/Regional research licensing retrospectives, web based tools, guidelines and training material, and for workshops and meetings to discuss and deliver these new initiatives.

Research Licensing Resources

• Nunavut Research Licences - The Nunavut Research Institute
  
  
• Northwest Territories Research Licences -The Aurora Research Institute
  
  
• Yukon Research Licences – Government of Yukon ( )
  
  
• Nunatsiavut – Nunatsiavut Government 
  
  
• Negotiating Research Relationships with Inuit Communities -
  Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami 
  
  
• Community, Licensing, Safety and Security Information for IPY Researchers Working in Canada’s North