Donate

Applied Research

We take a transdisciplinary approach to applied research by collaborating with scientists, local and Indigenous Peoples, industry, and NGO partners.

Global-to-Local and Local-to-Global Pathways – Our applied research program is built on the principle that addressing complex climate challenges requires a convergence of diverse knowledge systems and expertise. Our initiatives seek to create a dynamic and inclusive research environment where multiple ways of knowing are valued and integrated. This approach not only enhances the relevance and impact of research, but also empowers communities and stakeholders to participate actively in the development and implementation of solutions.

The Potential for Sweetgrass to Sequester Carbon

The Resilience Institute (TRI) and multiple partners are collaborating to evaluate the ecological role of Sweetgrass in native grasslands and its potential to mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration.

Read more

TRANSECTS (TRANSdisciplinary Education Collaboration for Transformations in Sustainability)

A multi-year initiative offering flexible and accessible pathways for training, professional development, mentorship, and networking for the next generation of sustainability changemakers.

Read more

Citizen Science and a Holistic Approach to Monitoring Abrupt Environmental Shifts in the Kluane Lake Region

TRI is building bridges between Arctic science in three disciplines (physical, social, and natural), local education curriculum, and citizen science opportunities in the Kluane Lake Region, in southwestern Yukon Territory in Canada.

Read more
Click here for more Collaborations

Laura Stewart

Board Member

Laura Stewart is the Community Wildfire Resilience Coordinator with Forsite Fire, supporting communities across Canada with wildfire risk assessments, mitigation planning, and program delivery. She has more than a decade of experience advancing wildfire resilience at Indigenous, municipal, provincial/territorial, and national levels. Previously, Laura served nearly eleven years as Alberta’s Provincial FireSmart Specialist, leading community, WUI, neighbourhood, and Home Ignition Zone programs, coordinating funding, and partnering with communities and fire services across the province. She has also served as Board Chair with both the Partners in Protection Association (FireSmart Canada) and the Community Wildfire Resilience Association of Alberta.

 

Sara Walsh, PhD

Board Member

Sara Walsh, PhD, is a disaster risk reduction and climate resilience specialist with more than 15 years of experience spanning Canada, Nepal, the Middle East, and North Africa. Until November 2025, she served as Thematic Lead for Climate and Resilience with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), where she supported Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to strengthen their climate and risk reduction work across the region. Sara currently works as a freelance consultant with the United Nations, governments, and humanitarian organizations on recovery, risk governance, and community-based resilience. She teaches at a Canadian university and holds a PhD in Disaster Risk Reduction. Her work emphasizes anticipatory action, equity, and bridging research with practice to shape more resilient and sustainable futures.

Alison Criscitiello

Board Member

Alison Criscitiello, PhD, is an ice core scientist and high-altitude mountaineer who explores the history of climate and sea ice in polar and high-alpine regions using ice core chemistry. Alison’s work also focuses on environmental contaminant histories in ice cores from the Canadian high Arctic and the water towers of the Canadian Rockies. In 2010, she led the first all-women’s ascent of Lingsarmo, a 22,818-foot peak in the Indian Himalaya. Alison has earned three American Alpine Club (AAC) climbing awards, the John Lauchlan and Mugs Stump alpine climbing awards, as well as the first Ph.D. in Glaciology ever conferred by MIT. She is an Assistant Professor and the Director of the Canadian Ice Core Lab at the University of Alberta. She is the co-founder of Girls on Ice Canada.