Aurora Research Institute Secures $565,000 in NSERC grants, honoured for science promotion

Aurora College’s Aurora Research Institute (ARI) has been awarded two major grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), totaling $565,000 and also received NSERC’s 2024 Award for Science Promotion. The funding will expand opportunities for northern youth to engage in hands-on science, with a focus on climate change and its impacts across the Northwest Territories.

Chris Paci, Aurora College Vice President of Research, said the funding supports ARI’s commitment to science education in the North. “We are thrilled to receive these grants and award from NSERC PromoScience, which highlight our commitment to providing hands-on STEM learning to students and communities across the Northwest Territories,” he said. “The funding will help to propel us into the next stages of this work.”

Chris Black, North Slave Research Centre Outreach Coordinator at ARI, emphasized the national significance of the award. “The PromoScience award is national, and we were selected out of dozens of organizations across Canada for our work promoting science—that is exciting,” he said. “The funding is a key contributor to our year-round programming.”

ARI’s STEM Outreach Program collaborates with local schools, Indigenous organizations, and partners such as Actua and Let’s Talk Science to provide free programming throughout the NWT. A key component of the ARI’s STEM Outreach Program is the focus on integrating Indigenous Knowledge, language, and culture into STEM learning. By working with Indigenous governments, Knowledge Holders, and Elders, the program creates opportunities for students to explore connections between Indigenous Knowledge and Western science. This approach fosters a safe space for youth to explore science through cultural practices, language, and their relationship with the natural environment, all while respecting traditional ways of knowing. The program also provides free career chats and visits from STEM professionals to encourage youth to see themselves in STEM roles.

The grants will support school visits, community events, teacher training, and ARI’s Equipment for Loans Program. The funds will also help purchase new equipment and cover travel and wages for ARI’s three full-time outreach coordinators.