Competition

* Unless explicitly noted, all times indicated for deadlines are for the appropriate NL timezone (NST or NDT)

To help reduce plastic waste and pollution and progress towards a circular economy for plastics, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is partnering with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) on this joint initiative. The funding opportunity provides research funding support through Research Partnerships grants to address knowledge gaps about the potential impacts of plastic pollution on Indigenous communities through the various stages of the plastic lifecycle, focusing on social, cultural and economic impacts.

Applications should demonstrate that the research project prioritizes Indigenous communities by indicating that it:

• has been designed through consultation

• has been co-developed or initiated by Indigenous communities and responding to their needs

• is designed to bridge, braid, and weave Indigenous science and knowledge in the project; and/or will be led or co-led by Indigenous researchers and organizations

Research findings will help inform evidence-based decision-making when developing future actions on plastics.

Research objectives

Proposed research projects must address at least one of the following research objectives, as applicable, locally or across Canada:

Theme 1: Understanding the Potential Impacts of Plastic Pollution on Indigenous Peoples

1. Investigating the potential impacts (e.g., social, cultural, and economic) of plastic waste and/or pollution on Indigenous Peoples. For example, investigating impacts of plastics in wildlife and/or environments of significance to Indigenous Peoples/communities; or potential impacts in terms of Indigenous rights.

2. Examining Indigenous approaches to assess the potential impacts (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.) from risks of and/or exposure to plastic pollution. For example, examining indicators of biocultural value—the linkage between biophysical and cultural values, livelihoods and well-being—to Indigenous Peoples so potential impacts can be evaluated; approaches to reduce potential risks to cultural use, resistance, survival and/or continuity.

Theme 2: Indigenous Approaches to Address Plastic Pollution

1. Generating knowledge based on Indigenous science and cultural approaches to address the impacts of plastic pollution on wildlife, the environment, and potentially human health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, etc.). For example, producing Indigenous science, knowledge, perspectives and approaches to plastics recycling, value recovery and/or waste management; or performing interdisciplinary research on food security, human health and plastics science.

2. Exploring environmental justice and Indigenous rights in relation to plastic pollution. For example, exploring Indigenous environmental justice-oriented approaches and inclusion in decision-making related to plastic pollution.

This joint initiative uses the definition of Indigenous science provided by ECCC's Indigenous Science Division: “a culturally specific method of accumulating knowledge, refining hypotheses, and changing practices associated with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples' deep understanding of and relationship to the natural world”. Indigenous science is “wholistic” (a term used to describe the ecosystem as a whole), and deeply braids, or weaves, new information over a longer-term perspective, while respecting expected codes of conduct and due diligence toward the collective benefit of all components, including humans, in ecosystems. Indigenous research paradigms have a number of common components; for instance, relational accountability, wholistic use and transmission of data and information, and respect for people as part of processes that can influence scientific outcomes. Indigenous science encompasses both past and real-time environmental events that Indigenous people have knowledge of, such as changes in species behaviour and distribution, water, climate change impacts and adaptations, prevention of wildfires as well as cultural burning, land stewardship, wildlife protection, and species at risk.

ECCC and SSHRC welcome applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation. Partnership funding is intended for formal partnerships between postsecondary institutions and/or organizations of various types. For more information, see the definitions for formal partnership and partner organization. For this funding opportunity, at least one partner organization must be an Indigenous partner.

Value and duration

Grants for the Indigenous Science and the Impacts of Plastic Pollution funding opportunity are valued at a maximum of $237,500 per year over two years, up to a total of $475,000. A one-year automatic grant extension without additional funding is also available under this joint initiative.

In addition to the external funding agency’s submission procedures, this opportunity must also be submitted for Departmental, HSS Faculty, and Research Initiatives and Services (RIS) institutional reviews and approvals via Memorial's Researcher Portal (RP). In order to facilitate the HSS Faculty’s administrative review, please ensure "Heather C. O'Brien (Grants Facilitator)" and “Matthew Milner (Grants Facilitator)” are added as "Team Members" on your RP file. 

In accordance with University-wide approval protocols, all tabs of the RP file must be completed, the completed application must be uploaded to the “Attachments” tab, all supporting documentation including support for cash and in-kind commitments and/or letters of support must also be uploaded, and “Submit” must be pressed prior to the HSS internal deadline listed below. HSS cannot guarantee completion of an administrative review for application files that are incomplete and/or are submitted after the HSS deadline. For more detailed submission instructions and information, please consult the HSS Research Support Services website.

If you plan to apply to this competition or other research funding opportunities (as either PI or CI), e-mail an HSS Grants Facilitator, Heather C. O’Brien (HSSResearchAdmin@mun.ca or 864-8603) or Matthew Milner (HSSResearchGrants@mun.ca or 864-8050), to notify the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of your intent to apply. E-mailing the intent to apply as early as possible will help to facilitate an efficient review. A Grants Facilitator can answer any questions you may have about internal or external submission procedures and may also be able to help with proposal development.