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Thompson Rivers University
Thompson Rivers University

Community-based Research

The role of the university within the community is being redefined. Today’s universities are not separate from the communities in which they exist, but are in dialogue with them. Our research is informed by the conversations we have within the communities we serve. Dr. Will Garrett-Petts, Associate Vice-President of Research and Graduate Studies

In fall of 2016, TRU and the United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo embarked on a new, innovative partnership designed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge between faculty and student researchers and the community.

Community Research Initiative

The Community Research Initiative supports research opportunities that:

  • encourage community-university collaborations;
  • develop research memorandums of understandings like those already in place between TRU, the City of Kamloops and the Thompson Nicola Cariboo United Way;
  • create meaningful student research opportunities; and
  • promote shared funding opportunities.

Community-Driven Research Fund: Currently Under Review

The Community-Driven Research Fund is designed to support research that:

  • responds directly to community needs;
  • builds research partnerships with community organizations in the Thompson Nicola Cariboo region;
  • provides opportunities for students to become involved in community-based research; and
  • helps faculty and their community partners become more competitive for external funding.

Projects are expected to be community-driven, with the research outcomes primarily benefiting the community organization.

Award amount: $2,500. Matching contributions of up to $2,500 in cash or in-kind support is required from the community organization. A minimum of 10 awards are available per year.

> Terms of reference
> Application checklist

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The EmpowerHER: a women's map to the city

Part art project and part community research, The EmpowerHER: a women's map to the city included a series of personal and collective maps made by local women to make visible their feelings and emotions about the city in which they live. The participatory project aimed to recentre the voices, everyday knowledge and authority of women in the community.

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