The Ocean Frontier Institute (OFI), an international research partnership led by Dal, Memorial University, and UPEI, has launched its next phase of ocean research, with a plan to invest approximately $16 million in projects that will examine climate change and how changes to the North Atlantic impact coastal communities.
The funds will be distributed through a two-phased, peer-reviewed application process. OFI seeks collaborative proposals from consortia representing academic, government, business, Indigenous and international researchers, Indigenous leaders and coastal community members. To qualify, each project must be led by a principal investigator who is a faculty or staff member, or adjunct faculty, at one of OFI’s lead partner universities.
“OFI is all about transformative research, and such research, when tackled in a collaborative fashion has the ability to resolve many of the challenges facing our one, common ocean,” says Anya Waite, OFI’s scientific director and AVP of research (Ocean) at Dal. “We are also at a unique period in Atlantic Canada when ocean industries are consolidating their bid for international excellence (for example, through the Ocean Supercluster). The alignment of these initiatives will be ground-breaking.”
OFI was established in September 2016 thanks to an investment of $227 million from the Government of Canada and various private and public-sector organizations. The funding is primarily used to support ocean research projects that are examining innovative approaches to ensure the North Atlantic is sustainably managed. OFI’s currently has 16 large research projects underway; each are expected to be completed in 2022.
Designed through consultation
Through a four-month consultation process, OFI’s management team sought input on its second phase of research, scheduled to run from late 2019 to 2023. Compared to Phase 1, OFI’s next phase will support fewer projects but will allow for more resources per project. OFI expects to fund two to five research projects which would each receive about $1 million per year in funding to investigate the following topics:
The North Atlantic as a Climate Ocean — This theme centres on understanding the role of ocean dynamics and climate in the North Atlantic and Canadian Arctic gateways. Through research, OFI seeks an improved understanding of the physical, chemical, and biological processes governing climate, productivity, and ecosystem structure.
Coastal Communities and the Ocean — Canada’s coastal communities face significant challenges and opportunities in their interactions with the ocean. These include both climate and human-induced ecosystem alteration, shifts in fishery abundance and distribution, sea level rise, as well as rapidly-evolving social, institutional, and economic conditions. Research projects will address how changing ocean dynamics impact coastal communities, and how rapidly-evolving social and economic conditions impact the marine environment.
“By working together, we will generate research results that intersect the economy, environment and social well being. And we will action our research, putting it to work to ensure those who depend on the ocean have the tools they require to respond to the change that’s occurring,” said Dr. Waite.
Learn more about OFI’s second phase of research and how to apply