Office of the Vice-President Research
Office of the Vice-President Research
Our mission
Thompson Rivers University will earn recognition as the most committed and innovative university in Canada for research and scholarship based on community partnerships; for involving graduate students in community-centred research; and for undergraduate research training.
Our actions will be defined by shared, deeply held values. We respect each other (Xyemstwécw), the land, knowledge, the peoples of our region and beyond.
Strategic Research Plan
Thompson Rivers University is entering a new phase where our research is advanced not only by individual scholars and projects, but also by strategic partnerships, collaborations and international networks. TRU’s new 2022-27 Strategic Research Plan articulates the key challenge areas where we will strive to make significant contributions during the next five years.
- Understanding and responding to changing climate, its consequences for our environments (built, natural, social), and pursuing sustainable solutions.
- Contributing to greater social cohesion and sense of belonging through a commitment to social justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and social responsibility.
- Strengthening health, quality of life, and cultural sustainability in our local and regional communities.
- Advancing technological, social and economic development and innovation that improves people’s lives.
- Seeking truth, reconciliation, and rights through Indigenous-led research and capacity building.
Our Strategic Research Plan represents a road map to connecting research with community needs, engaging in global research challenges and ensuring the research enterprise contributes to the university’s 10-year strategic change goals. In the next 10 years, TRU will lead in community research and scholarship while supporting all faculty members in knowledge-seeking, knowledge creation, and creative inquiry.
Thompson Rivers University campuses are on the traditional lands of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops campus) and the T’exelc (Williams Lake campus) within Secwepemcúlucw, the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc. The region TRU serves also extends into the territories of the St’át’imc, Nlaka’pamux, Nuxalk, Tŝilhqot'in, Dakelh, and Syilx peoples.
In the news
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Professorship boosts microbiologist’s research
Dr. Jonathan Van Hamme has been awarded the Northcote and Brink Professorship for his research into breaking down toxic ‘forever chemicals.’
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TRU research studies brain development in infants
TRU researchers Jenni Karl, Musfiq Rahman and Claudia Gonzalez welcome the recognition they’ve received for their research.
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King Charles’s 21st century coronation: Repatriating the Crown Jewels is long overdue
Is it time to repatriate the Crown Jewels? Annie St. John-Stark from TRU Arts offers insights in The Conversation Canada.
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Graduate student’s global wildfire journey
Passionate about the planet, Master of Science in Environmental Science student Andrea Robinson participated in a wildfire training program.
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3MT is short on time, long on knowledge
Three Master of Science graduate students demonstrated their summary skills at this year’s Three Minute Thesis competition.
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TRU appoints first vice-president research following extensive search
Dr. Shannon Wagner has accepted the position of Thompson Rivers University’s first vice-president of research.
More news
The Conversation
The Conversation is an international independent source of news and views from the academic and research community. TRU has been a contributing member since 2018.
More from The Conversation
Research is on the rise at TRU
TRU research storytellers
Dr. Rees’s SSHRC-funded research helps to inform science and math education, providing children with a love of discovery and the confidence to ask great questions and look to science for the answers.
