Deadline: 30-Apr-23
The Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) has announced its Research and Learning Program to support regionally-driven, First Nations-defined processes that enable First Nations-led organizations to manage and oversee First Nations education research project selection and funding allocations.
The program supports research projects that contribute to the growing body of evidence on educational initiatives across Canada that are positively impacting First Nations students and their educational outcomes.
Objective
- The program’s objective is to increase awareness and knowledge of best practices in Indigenous education among:
- Educators.
- Policy-makers.
- First Nations leaders across Canada.
- At the end of their projects, program recipients are expected to share learnings and outcomes from their research projects at First Nations education events.
Funding Information
The Research and Learning Program provides $1.3 million in national funding annually. The distribution of this funding will depend on:
- The availability of funds in the overall Research and Learning Program funding level
- The regionally-based allocation methodology jointly developed between ISC and:
- First Nations: Assembly of First Nations.
- National Indian Education Council.
- Chiefs Committee on Education.
Expected Results
- The program is a small part of broader efforts to improve First Nations elementary and secondary education. Learnings derived from its activities are expected to help improve the overall quality of education for First Nations students and contribute to the following specific expected outcomes:
- First Nations have increased education system capacity.
- First Nations carry out activities to increase capacity and have flexibility to meet their education system needs and priorities.
- Education services and resources better reflect student needs, culture and language.
- First Nations students participate and progress in their elementary and secondary education.
- First Nations students on reserve achieve levels of secondary education comparable to non-Indigenous students in Canada.
- Outcomes may also be identified by regional education agreements.
Eligible Components and Activities
The program supports the following activities:
- Collaboration that expands evidence-based practices in Indigenous education to benefit First Nations students and improve education outcomes between:
- Researchers.
- Educators.
- Elders or Knowledge Keepers.
- Students.
- OTHER community members.
- Sharing education-related learnings among First Nations education partners, respecting ownership, control access and possession principles.
- Evaluating innovative approaches to education programming, for example the projects that received funding from the Innovation in Education Program.
- Research activities that increase understanding of education and embrace Indigenous research methodologies that may benefit First Nations students, including:
- Community-based.
- Action-based.
- Relational.
- Process-oriented.
- Adaptive.
- Narrative-based.
Eligibility Criteria
- Recipients eligible to receive funding include:
- First Nations or bands.
- Tribal councils, political or treaty or settlement organizations.
- Other First Nations education organizations designated by First Nations, including:
- School boards.
- First Nations education authorities.
- First Nations regional representative organizations.
- Recipients in Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
- Depending on the nature of the regional agreement, funding may be allocated to a First Nations organization to administer the program regionally and distribute funding to specific projects based on available funding and First Nations decisions.
For more information, visit ISC.