3 New Regional Applied Research Projects Launched

Workforce development, non-profit social sector collaboration and our regional food system are the three new areas the RDI’s interdisciplinary research team will be exploring this year. “It is an exciting time at the RDI. Now that we have a few years under our belt and a strong research team in place we are ready to expand our applied research efforts in support of identifying and advancing regional priorities.” says Dr. Terri MacDonald, the RDI’s Regional Innovation Chair.

Building on the work of last year’s Kootenay Regional Workforce Table and resulting Regional Skills Training Plan, the Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development applied research project will focus on advancing regional workforce development through the facilitation of informed decision-making, the cultivating of related networks, and the piloting of best practice interventions. This 3-year project conceptualizes workforce development in terms of creating globally competitive industries, building an entrepreneurial region, developing a workforce with 21st Century skills, and weaving supportive civic networks and will kick off with a pilot in the Boundary Corridor early next year. View Research Project Brief.

The Non-Profit Social Sector applied research project will explore key characteristics, financial and human resources, organizational capacity, social innovation, and organizational connections in the Columbia Basin-Boundary non-profit social sector. The research is an important first step towards enabling evidence-based decision-making by our regions’ colleges and Columbia Basin Trust in efforts related to strengthening the sector. View Research Project Brief.

The Columbia Basin-Boundary Food System applied research project will identify opportunities to increase food production in an environmentally, economically, socially and culturally sustainable way in the Columbia Basin-Boundary region. This research will build on existing research and regional district agricultural plans and will focus primarily on identifying opportunities to improve the food production, processing, distribution and retail sectors. View Research Project Brief.

Knowledge mobilization is an important part of the RDI’s work. Extension efforts are key to ensuring research actually gets used to support informed decision-making. In addition to extension efforts related to the three new applied research projects, efforts in 2014/15 will focus on mobilizing the Digital Basin as an innovative planning tool. Knowledge dissemination related to the Employment Lands and Business Retention and Expansion projects are also planned.

“We are working hard to find new innovative ways to connect our research with the communities we serve. Research is of limited value if no one is using it. At the RDI we are committed to helping our regions’ leaders make evidence-based decisions.”