IT'S A FUNNY THING ABOUT CONTROL.
MANY WOULD WALK TO THE VERY EDGE
OF THE EARTH JUST TO TOUCH IT.
CONTROL IS A MYSTICAL CONCEIT — A
SEEMINGLY INAUDIBLE WHISPER THAT
HANGS UPON THE BREATH OF THE WIND.
LEGACIES HAVE BEEN SQUANDERED IN ITS CAPTURE AND
COUNTRIES HAVE FALLEN IN THE WAKE OF ITS ELUSIVENESS.
ONLY THOSE WHO ARE PURE OF HEART AND TRUE
IN SPIRIT CAN WIELD ITS POWER RESPONSIBLY.
Andrew Staniland and his partner in musical crime Scott Stevenson understand and
respect the dichotomy of control.
Andrew comes from a world of music, Scott is an engineering student from a land filled
with binary code and sophisticated sensors. They have collaborated together to create
the perfect blend of art and science. Andrew and Scott hatched a plan to develop a
haptic device that can be used to control digital media in a contemporary classical music
performance. Haptic technology refers to instruments that use touch as the main source
of control. Not only has our… duo created such a device, it's compact enough for touring.
Memorial is proud to support this interdisciplinary research duet and their dashingly
dexterous prototype.
Andrew and Scot's master plan provides an exciting window into the strangely tactile
future of musical control.
They say the North is not a land for the meek. It is a place that spends half its time frozen in ice and wrapped in the deepest of dark nights.
Yet it is also where light dances rhythmically across the night sky, where the sun flames the brightest and the air swirls the sweetest.
The great white north isn't what it used to be.
It has become a land where intense resource development presents challenges for the future.
…SOMEWHERE NORTH OF THE 52ND PARALLEL
John Sandlos and Arn Keeling are working hard to introduce people to the tough choices facing Canada's North.
This interdisciplinary adventure from the departments of history and geography focuses on John and Arn's work entitled "Abandoned Mines in Northern Canada: Historical
Consequences and Mitigation of Current Impacts." The study interprets the development of eight northern mines through the lens of environmental justice and political
ecology, and examines how factors such as pollution, landscape change, the introduction of wage work, and the sudden closure of these mines have impacted the social and
economic life of adjacent Aboriginal communities. Their research will inform how northern communities and governments facing large-scale mineral development can make
decisions that will ensure extractive development does not negatively affect their economic and environmental foundations. Since its inception, this stupendously satisfying
study has grown to include multiple researchers as well as residents in the communities of interest. Memorial proudly supports the end goal of this project, to help
Aboriginal and other northern communities navigate the renewed opportunities and challenges posed by today's resource boom.
This work will help keep the light of the North dancing above mining communities for years to come.
SATELLITES SPIN IN PERPETUAL SILENCE
AROUND OUR PLANET. THEY FLOAT HIGH
ABOVE THE EARTH LIKE METAL SKINNED
BALLOONS, SENDING AND RECEIVING
SIGNALS IN A SYNCHRONIZED DANCE
BELOW A CANOPY OF STARS.
ALL THE WHILE, THE NORTH LIES BENEATH
THE ATMOSPHERE GLIMMERING BRIGHT
LIKE SOME INVERTED MOON. THE PEOPLE
WHO LIVE THERE ARE OF A UNIQUE STOCK.
THEY ARE SEEKERS. INNOVATORS.
INNOVATION IS THE NAME OF THE
GAME WHEN IT COMES TO THE
ELUSIVE RESOURCES OF THE NORTH.
C-CORE has shown lightning-fast reflexes in responding to the challenge of acquiring timely,
cost-effective information on the changing northern environment.
LOOKNorth (Leading Operational Observations and Knowledge for the North), a national
Centre of Excellence for Commercialization and Research under the federal Networks of
Centres of Excellence Program, seeks technologies that can answer the tough business and
environmental questions about the North. Whether monitoring northern caribou, determining
the strength of ice roads or identifying viable marine transportation routes, LOOKNorth is
collaborating with a boisterously broad network of research partners and institutions, along
with northern businesses and industries, to identify, test and commercialize remote sensing
technologies. Ultimately, the safe, environmentally responsible, cost-effective and sustainable
development of Canada's northern natural resources is in everyone's best interests. And
LOOKNorth takes the approach that technology is only relevant and viable if it meets the
needs of its users.
Memorial is happy to undertake research that addresses the information needs of these hearty
seekers of the North.
Aboriginal Peoples
Research under this theme relates to the pre-history and history of Aboriginal peoples, as well
as to contemporary issues and opportunities in Newfoundland and Labrador, nationally and
internationally.
Key research areas include education, languages, society, culture, human rights, gender, literature,
religion, ethics, politics, and social and economic development; contemporary issues
around resource development, land claims, climate change, health, physical activity, and community
development; indigenous expressive culture; youth engagement relating to social policy,
social participation and youth programs; Northern Labrador climate change, resource development,
transportation, new national parks, and collaboration with the Nunatsiavut Government;
and traditional knowledge of Aboriginal peoples and its relation to contemporary issues.
Arctic and Northern Regions
Research under this theme relates to people and communities, environment and resources, approaches
and technologies for sustainable resource development, and land, ocean and coastal
zones in arctic and northern regions.
Key research areas include northern peoples and their languages, society, culture and communities;
regional, national and international governance mechanisms such as environmental regulations and the Law of the Sea; distance education, telecommunications and
learning technologies
and their implications for northern peoples; technologies for and management of natural
resource development, transportation, safety and survival, and health care and emergency
response in harsh, remote locations; the geography and ecology of northern marine, terrestrial
and ice environments; climate change and its impacts, significant resource developments, and
assertion of Canadian sovereignty in the north; land claims, environmental assessment, transportation,
and northern and remote infrastructure; economic and regulatory models and best
practices to maximize benefits from resource developments.
Community, Regional and Enterprise Development
Research under this theme relates to building capacity of people, organizations, communities,
industries, and enterprises to foster social and economic prosperity and development in rural
and urban communities, neighbourhoods and regions.
Key research areas include influences affecting economic development and social well-being;
the role of education, community health, and social policy and their impact on empowerment of
individuals and groups in communities; land use, drinking water, waste management, transportation
planning, affordable housing, and labour market development; economic diversification,
new business development and improved business practices; impact of climate change, aging
populations, migration and immigration on communities and regions; and rural-urban and localglobal
interaction, regional cooperation and governance, and innovation in policy and service
delivery.
Creative Arts, Culture and Heritage
Research related to creative production and expression; curation and interpretation; and archaeological,
historical, ethnographic and archival research in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
and internationally.
Key research areas include the arts; all forms of creative production and expression (drama, music
and sound, visual, performance, literature); education to preserve and strengthen culture and
build identity; performance pedagogy; tangible cultural heritage; intangible cultural heritage,
including language and music; cultural industries; history (Newfoundland, maritime, Canadian,
and European); expressive determinants of society and individual identity; contemporary and
historical creative activity; the use of new media and technologies in the ongoing production of
art, culture and heritage; interdisciplinary research in music, health and well-being, in music and
engineering; the use of creative expression to critique understandings of culture and society.
Environment, Energy and Natural Resources
Research related to the environment, development of natural resources (oil and gas, mining,
forestry), and the interaction of people, industry, and communities with the natural world, locally,
nationally and globally.
Key research areas include human interactions with climate change and environmental impacts;
energy efficiency; resource economics; cultural perceptions of the environment; environmental
science; wildlife, marine, land, habitat resource and waste management; plant and forestry science;
environmental engineering and sustainability; cellular and molecular biology and marine
sciences; energy industry economics and policy; health, safety and survival in the oil and gas industry;
harsh environment engineering, ocean observation systems; petroleum reservoir characterization
and exploration geophysics; sustainable and alternative energy solutions; reclamation
of non-renewable resource developments; social and economic benefits of the nonextractive
values of natural resources; watersheds and water quality business opportunities, public policy,
legal issues and regulatory regimes.
Governance and Public Policy
Research related to organizational and corporate governance, public policy and the relationships
amongst governments and non-government organizations. Corporate governance consists of
the collection of rules, processes, and practices that determine the relationship between managers
of an organization and those who have a stake in the organization's performance, including
shareholders, creditors, employees, customers, and society at large. Governance, more broadly,
includes how government bodies develop and implement public policy, and how governments
relate to non-governmental organizations in the shared allocation of decision-making and resources
for achieving public policy purposes.
Key research areas include auditing, taxation, finance, leadership and corporate social responsibility;
public and collective decision making in economic policy (including policy and governance
arrangements relating to specific economic sectors, as well as to cross-cutting areas such
as fiscal and monetary policy and trade policy), social policy (including health, education, and
social services), cultural policy, environmental policy, defence policy and other policy fields; legal
studies across all policy fields; local, regional and federal systems, as well as multilateral and
international governance relationships and organizations; immigration and population change;
land-use and urban planning; and food security.
Information and Communication Technology
Research related to the theoretical foundations of information and communication technology
(ICT), the design and deployment of ICT in a variety of settings, and the evaluation of the use of
ICT and its impact on individuals, organizations, and society. It involves research into the study
and design of systems that capture, store, transmit, process, and use information in a manner
that is efficient, accurate, reliable, secure, profitable, and responsible.
Key research areas include foundational and design areas, including algorithms and complexity,
data management, software engineering, computational modeling, computer networks, and
intelligent computing; ICT impact, including telemedicine, distance education and e-learning
technology, electronic commerce, and privacy; geographic information systems, autonomous
ocean systems; managing (storing, retrieving, filtering, and processing) the vast amounts of
data collected by businesses and other organizations using web-based and sensor-based data
collection (data collection includes scientific, health, pharmaceutical, commercial, geographic,
and social network data, remote sensing, communication networks, information technologies, and
computational modeling; it spans traditional structured databases and unstructured text); electronic
health service delivery in remote areas of the province (including tele-oncology, tele-psychiatry,
tele-video resuscitation) and innovative interactive teaching programs for remote areas (i.e., electronic
continuing medical education - MD.cme); and cultural and social impacts of ICT.
Oceans, Fisheries and Aquaculture
Research related to the maritime environment, the interaction of coastal people and communities
with the ocean and maritime environment, and the scientific, technological and organizational
requirements of industrial development in this environment, particularly relating to conditions in
the North Atlantic. Fishery and aquaculture, more specifically, include fresh water and marine fish
biology and environments and scientific, technological and organizational aspects of fishery and
aquaculture industry development, and their related social, community, environmental and public
policy characteristics.
Key research areas include cultures and societies around the North Atlantic Rim, and how they
interact with the ocean and ocean industries, including economic and political agreements and
relationships; technologies for natural resource development, transportation, and safety and survival
in harsh, remote locations, and the geography and ecology of North Atlantic marine, terrestrial
and ice environments; fundamental research in biology, ecology, environmental science, and
ocean science; climate change; fisheries conservation and resource management; aquaculture and
seafood development; food processing technology and processes to support industry development;
research related to the people, organizations, history, economics and policies pertaining to
fisheries and aquaculture; deep water and harsh environment marine and petroleum activity; and
business development and marketing associated with fisheries and oceans industries.
Social Justice
Research related to systems and structures that contribute to more humane, equitable and just
societies. Its focus is on building the capacity and enabling the civic engagement of vulnerable
populations, locally, nationally and internationally, whose voices are seldom heard in addressing
the barriers to their well-being and full participation in society.
Key research areas include immigration, citizenship and labour market inclusion, and poverty
reduction; empowerment of individuals through education, community health approaches, access
to medical care and services, and child and family welfare; interdisciplinary aspects of diversity,
difference, equity and ethics; labour relations, social and working class history, gender equality
and sexuality; the impact of poverty on individual and community development in urban and
rural neighbourhoods and communities; homelessness, affordable housing, and poverty; citizen
engagement in communities, and how education is valued (to help explain the low rate of high
school graduation); mental health, aging, social development, and disabilities issues; national and
international social justice issues; and corporate social responsibility.
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Research related to improvement of health and well-being through building research and knowledge
provincially, nationally and internationally especially for the people of Newfoundland and
Labrador in areas of unique provincial need and opportunity.
Key research areas include genetics research that addresses both the need and opportunity
presented by the founder population characteristics of the province (genealogy, community and
population health, ethics and health policy development, as well as specific bio-molecular research
and clinical care innovation); health services and health policy research as well as research related
to special medical, nursing and other health professional education that respond to the province's
aging, rural, northern and aboriginal populations and distinctive workforces; research related to
efficient and accessible health care systems, and effective public health programs and policies and
healthy and safe work places; biomedical sciences ranging from cellular and molecular processes
to animal and cell modeling that respond to the province's high incidence of diseases such as
obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease; multinational clinical trials of drug and device interventions;
health promotion, public health, health policy, disease prevention and chronic disease
management; and healthy aging.
