Our story: Funding research

Funding research that addresses potential impacts of development

Three research projects related to the potential environmental, socio-economic and other impacts of development are now being financially supported by grants from the Imperial Oil Foundation, as announced during 2009. The Athabasca River Basin Research Institute (ARBRI), housed at Athabasca University based in Calgary, received $200,000 over four years to develop an on-line digital bibliography covering scientific, social, cultural, business/commercial and environmental research data and information on the river basin area. The project will organize and collate vast amounts of data from many research groups and make it freely accessible on-line to interested parties.  In addition, the bibliography will highlight gaps in current research and information as well as areas where research efforts overlap.

A grant of $200,000 over four years to the University of Lethbridge in Edmonton is supporting the Alberta Springs Project to study spring systems in southern and central Alberta and adjacent regions of British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Montana.  Researchers use hydrology, water chemistry and aquatic and riparian ecology to analyze the impacts of climate change and land-use development on groundwater abundance and condition. To date, no comprehensive mapping of springs in the region has been undertaken, even though spring systems support rich wetland ecosystems.

The Nature Conservancy of Canada – Alberta Region (NCC), a non-profit conservation organization, received a grant of $200,000 over four years to fund conservation and research programs in western Canada that will identify potential conservation areas in the Boreal Plains-Peace River region. 

“At Imperial, we believe in the NCC program and support its activities and objectives,” says Andy Teal, Upstream safety, health and environment manager.  “We’re also pleased and proud to support local initiatives to conserve biological diversity and reclamation.”