Nunavut NEIHR Research Week: Shaping the Future of Inuit-Led Research and Strengthening Northern Capacity
Nunavut Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research’s annual Research Week, at the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre in Iqaluit, brings together Inuit students, researchers, and community leaders for land-based, culturally grounded learning that strengthens Inuit research leadership, advances community-driven knowledge, and reflects UArctic’s commitment to respectful, Indigenous-led education and research in the North.
Each year, the Nunavut Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) hosts Research Week at the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre in Iqaluit. This is a vital gathering that brings together Inuit graduate students, emerging researchers, and community leaders from across Inuit Nunangat. Far more than an academic event, Research Week serves as a space for mentorship, reflection, and collective learning, where participants explore the intersections between Inuit knowledge systems and Western research traditions.
Over five days, participants engage in storytelling, land-based learning, and workshops guided by Elders, mentors, and researchers who are encouraging students to consider what it means to conduct ethical, community-led research grounded in Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (Inuit ways of knowing, being, and doing). Through reconnecting to the land and engaging with community knowledge holders, participants strengthen their understanding of how Indigenous methodologies can inform and transform research practices across disciplines. NEIHR has released a video so others can hear from participants in their own words and experience Research Week from their perspective.
The program’s impact reaches beyond academia. Research Week empowers Inuit researchers to take leadership in shaping the future of health, education, and environmental research in the North, ensuring that research outcomes reflect community values and priorities. Many participants go on to lead their own projects, contributing to locally relevant solutions in areas such as wellness, mental health, food security, and climate resilience. The initiative thus plays a central role in developing the next generation of Inuit scholars and knowledge leaders who are redefining what meaningful, respectful, and collaborative research looks like across Nunavut and beyond.
For Northern Canada, programs like NEIHR’s Research Week are essential to building research sovereignty since communities guide how, why, and for whom research is done. This not only strengthens trust between researchers and local partners but also ensures that academic inquiry contributes directly to community well-being and self-determination.
For members of the UArctic, this initiative embodies shared values of collaboration, inclusion, and respect for Indigenous knowledge. It reflects UArctic’s mission to support education and research that are regionally grounded and culturally responsive.
Photo Caption: During Research Week, participants engaged in experiential learning with an Elder, gaining hands-on knowledge in sealskin preparation. This approach reflects Inuit ways of learning, rooted in observation, mentorship, and relationships with land, animals and each other.
Learn more: Nunavut NEIHR – Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre