Institutional Scientific Program

Current climate, energy and geopolitical pressures on natural resources – whether mineral, forest, agricultural or hydrological – are forcing the reconfiguration of socioeconomic systems. In this context, socio-ecological transitions, the circular economy and community empowerment are pillars of community vitality and sustainability. To help communities adapt to change and foster social, environmental and economic resilience, and to regenerate the ecosystems to which they belong, scientists must take action and innovate in several areas, including short cycles, an integrated approach to value chains, water recycling, bioproducts, supply chains and supply chain sovereignty, as well as self-determination and territorial empowerment.

The post-pandemic popularity of the “One Health” concept – which recognizes the interdependence of human health (including mental health), animal health, and environmental or planetary health – is undeniable and well-founded.

In Quebec, as elsewhere, public administrations recognize the importance and complexity of an integrated approach to health. How can we promote healthy living, save human and animal lives, preserve the diversity and habitats of life on Earth, and work toward an environment that supports all these forms of healthy life in an integrated manner?

While the concept seems self-evident, putting it into practice remains a formidable challenge. Thanks to our unique structure, our concentration of expertise at the Armand-Frappier Health and Biotechnology Center (AFSB), and related expertise in our other centres, we at INRS are well-positioned to address this operationalization and train scientists capable of adopting a systems-based approach to designing coherent strategies for planning, management and decision-making.

The rapidly-evolving field of photonics and quantum science has seen fundamental research open the door to a wealth of applications across various sectors such as security, energy, advanced manufacturing, health and communications. The Quebec and Canadian industries have a growing need for scientists capable of developing or adapting photonic and quantum technologies to various applications, including sensors, cryptography, medical diagnosis and treatment, lasers and radiation sources, photonic materials, integrated photonics and quantum telecommunications.

This context offers opportunities for training, commercialization and the creation of new businesses. To support industrial growth in photonics, the creation of master’s and doctoral programs in this field is a strategic avenue for development for INRS and Quebec.

To ensure that knowledge, discoveries and technologies are mobilized in a sustainable manner and tailored to major contemporary challenges, the Scientific Governance and Knowledge Mobilization focus area connects knowledge systems and promotes and disseminates innovation in accordance with our mission, since ethical scientific governance and optimal knowledge mobilization transform research results into practices, policies and technologies that benefit society.

The research directions to be developed focus specifically on scientific advisory practices and approaches for various communities. The sciences of implementation, knowledge mobilization and transfer, as well as the ethics of scientific governance and innovation, break down the barriers between science, technology and society. In short, research on research itself and on ways to sustainably integrate it into society will generate expertise that can be used to train students in scientific advisory services as well as expand and enhance the program’s course offerings in knowledge mobilization and transfer.