Impact Assessment Agency of Canada Research Program
On June 20, 2024, the Budget Implementation Act, 2024, received Royal Assent and brought into force amendments to the Impact Assessment Act (IAA). These changes were made in response to the Supreme Court of Canada's decision on the constitutionality of the IAA. Over the coming weeks and months, this website along with procedures, policy and guidance documents will be updated to reflect these legislative changes, as required.
Disclaimer
The views expressed in the funded research are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada or the Government of Canada. Some research findings may contain information that could be upsetting or triggering. Find available support.
We are not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of the information supplied by third parties. If you have questions on this information, contact the research organization directly. Also, remember that third-party content may not meet official languages, privacy and accessibility standards, as it is not subject to it.
Impact assessment research program overview
The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada's (IAAC) Research Program supports innovative research and knowledge sharing to help foster an effective federal impact assessment system. The research is specific to strategic, regional, and project assessments at the federal level.
Every year, IAAC identifies key areas where research funding will be focused. Individuals, not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous organizations and communities, and research and academic institutions may apply for these funds. If you are interested in applying for funding, visit the Funding for research on assessments page for details on eligibility and application instructions or contact the Research Program.
Advancing research through collaborative networks and institutional partners
In 2019, we partnered with the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to launch Knowledge Synthesis Grants to increase understanding of existing social sciences and humanities knowledge and its application to environmental and impact assessments.
In 2021, IAAC began a partnership with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) through the NSERC’s supplemental funding in impact assessment, allowing NSERC scholarship recipients to further their research related to impact assessment. If you are interested in exploring this funding opportunity, contact NSERC directly.
IAAC has also funded networks to support innovative research and the sharing of best practices that contribute to the field of federal impact assessment. For example:
- The Gender-based Indigenous Intersectional Impact Assessment Network focuses on advancing and incorporating culturally relevant gender-based analysis plus in impact assessments.
- The Network for Expertise and Dialogue for Impact Assessment (Advancing Impact Assessment for Canada's Socio-Ecological Systems, 2020-2023) connected scholars from the natural sciences and engineering with the social sciences and humanities to enhance the analysis of effects in impact assessment studies.
Finding an impact assessment research report or study
Explore the table below to discover the interesting tools, studies and research done thanks to the Research Program.
Research Funded
Filter options
Title |
Research organization |
Principal author(s) |
Publication year |
Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Expert Roundtable on Gender-based Analysis plus in Impact Assessment |
– |
2018 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
|
Strengthening Impact Assessments for Indigenous Women |
Susan Manning, Patricia Nash, Leah Levac, Deborah Stienstra and Jane Stinson |
2018 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Secrétariat international francophone pour l’évaluation environnementale |
– |
2019 |
Social Effects |
|
Good Practices in Social Impact Assessment |
Golder Associates Ltd |
– |
2019 |
Social Effects |
Gender and Diversity Analysis in Impact Assessment |
University of Saskatchewan, School of Environment and Sustainability |
Heidi Walker, Maureen G. Reed, and Bethany Thiessen |
2019 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
More promise than practice: GBA+, intersectionality and impact assessment (SSHRC partnership) |
Deborah Stienstra, Susan Manning, Leah Levac |
2020 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
|
Workshop on strategic assessment under the Impact Assessment Act |
– |
2019 |
Regional and Strategic Assessment |
|
Public-Interest Determination for Infrastructure Development: A Review of Guidance and Practice in Canada (SSHRC partnership) |
Victoria Goodday, Jennifer Winter, Alana Westwood |
2020 |
Community Knowledge |
|
Lessons learned, best practices and critical gaps in regional environmental assessment: a synthesis of Canadian and international literature |
Jill Blakley, Bram Noble, Jerome Marty, Karen Vella |
2020 |
Regional and Strategic Assessment |
|
Impact assessment and responsible business guidance tools in the extractive sector: implications for human rights, gender and stakeholder engagement |
Sara Seck, Penelope Simons |
2020 |
Community Knowledge |
|
Integrating socio-economic objectives for mine closure into impact assessment in Canada |
Caitlynn Beckett, Elizabeth Dowdell, Miranda Monosky and Arn Keeling |
2020 |
Social Effects |
|
Jennifer Ann Brown, Melissa Gorman, Hyejun Kim, Kelsey Schober, Joe Vipond, and Candace Nykiforuk |
2020 |
Health Effects |
||
Implementing a regional, Indigenous-led and sustainability-informed impact assessment in Ontario’s Ring of Fire |
Dayna Nadine Scott, Cole Atlin, Estair Van Wagner, Peter Siebenmorgan, Advisor, Robert B. Gibson |
2020 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Beyond participation and distribution: advancing a comprehensive justice framework for impact assessment |
Gwendolyn Blue, Kelly Bronson, Alana Lajoie-O’Malley |
2020 |
Public Participation |
|
Building the system: follow-up, monitoring and adaptive management |
Patricia Fitzpatrick and Byron Williams |
2020 |
Follow-up |
|
Synthesis at the nexus of sustainability assessment, regional/strategic assessment and Indigenous partnerships |
Robert B. Gibson, Daniel D.P. McCarthy, Kiri Staples, Kira Cooper, Geneva Cloutis, Jordan Bean, Dayna Nadine Scott, Meinhard Doelle, and A. John Sinclair |
2020 |
Sustainability |
|
Evaluating methods for analyzing economic impacts in environmental assessments |
T. Gunton, C. Gunton, C. Joseph and M. Pope |
2020 |
Economic Effects |
|
Gender-based analysis plus: implementing and developing a socially responsible impact assessment process in Canada |
Dawn Hoogeveen, Maya Gislason, Alisha Hussey, Sally Western, Aleyah Williams |
2020 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
|
Unlocking the promise of "integrated" regional and strategic environmental assessments |
Chris Buse, Rob Friberg, Lauren Arnold and Kevin Hanna |
2020 |
Regional and Strategic Assessment |
|
New Earth |
Catherine Benoit Norris |
2020 |
Social Effects |
|
GBA+ Preparedness in the Canadian Mining Sector: A Baseline Study |
– |
2020 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
|
– |
2020 |
Follow-up |
||
Best Brains Exchange Report: Mental Health Outcomes and Impact Assessment |
Canadian Institutes of Health Research & the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada |
– |
2020 |
Health Effects |
Case Studies of Indigenous Knowledge and Science in Impact Assessment |
– |
2020 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Indigenous Women and Impact Assessment Final Report |
– |
2020 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Review of the Assessment of Positive Effects |
– |
2021 |
Environmental Effects |
|
Towards Ethical Research in Health Impact Assessment |
– |
2021 |
Health Effects |
|
Assessment of the Mental Health Impacts Associated with Environmental Change |
– |
2021 |
Health Effects |
|
Integrating Health Impact Assessment into the Wider Impact Assessment Process |
– |
2021 |
Health Effects |
|
– |
2021 |
Cumulative Effects |
||
Dr. Tania Salerno, Dr. Jordan Tam, Dr. Justin Page, and Sandra Gosling |
2021 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
||
Western University, Department of Geography and Environment/Indigenous Studies |
Dr. Diana Lewis, Shannon James, Olivia Thom, Sasha Doxtator, Michaela Nahmahbin-Hiltz and Dr. Emily Beacock |
2021 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Strong Engagement, Strong Outcomes: An Engagement Indicators Playbook |
– |
2022 |
Public Participation |
|
Heather Luedke |
2022 |
Follow-up |
||
Simon Fraser University, School of Resource and Environmental Management |
C. Gunton, T. Gunton and S. Markey |
2022 |
Public Participation |
|
David W. Poulton and Dr. Justina Ray |
2023 |
Mitigation Measures |
||
Operationalizing Indigenous Impact Assessment |
Dr. Dayna Nadine Scott, Dr. Jennifer Sankey, and Laura Tanguay |
2023 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Ali MacKellar, K. Klenk, Soni Grant, A. Aylesworth, S. Mines, H.N. Ellingwood and Dr. Alana Westwood |
2023 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
||
West Coast Environmental Law Association and Wildlife Conservation Society Canada |
Anna Johnston and Justina Ray |
2023 |
Environmental Effects |
|
|
Mitigation and Enhancement Measures for Health, Social & Economic Effects - Quick Guide |
Asia Pacific Foundation for Climate and Health |
– |
2023 |
Health Effects |
Women in Resource Development Corporation and Stantec Consulting Ltd |
– |
2023 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus Social Effects |
|
– |
2023 |
Social Effects |
||
Jackie Hansen |
2023 |
Gender-based Analysis Plus |
||
University of British Columbia and Tŝilhqot’in National Government |
Lauren Arnold, Kevin Hanna, Cynthia Fell, and J.P. LaPlante |
2023 |
Social Effects |
|
Qualitative Methods for the Next Generation of Impact Assessment |
– |
Heidi Walker, Jenny Pope, A. John Sinclair, Alan Bond and Alan Diduck |
2023 |
Public Participation |
|
A Review of Recent Regional Assessment Case Studies, and a Synthesis of Best Practices - [PDF Version - 1,148 KB] |
University of British Columbia | Jackie Lerner, Dana James, Mohammad Nasir Tighsazzadeh, and Jordan Tam | 2024 | Regional and Strategic Assessment |
Clean growth and cumulative effects in Canada and beyond Report Clean growth and cumulative effects in Canada and beyond - Policy Scan |
Steven J. Cooke, Lauren J. Stoot, Benjamin L. Hilna, Joel Zhang, Cole Macleod, Alana C. Tedeschi and Trina Rytwinski |
2024 |
Environmental Effects |
|
Alexandra Bridges and Hannah Skelding |
2024 |
Social Effects |
||
Impact Assessment Guide and Toolkit for Indigenous Communities |
Timothy Clark and Sabrina Trimble |
2024 |
Indigenous Knowledge |
|
Establishing and Operationalizing Thresholds in Proponent-led Adaptive Management Plans – Report - [PDF Version - 2,231 KB] Establishing and Operationalizing Thresholds in Proponent-led Adaptive Management Plans - Infographic - [PDF Version - 7,266 KB] |
University of Saskatchewan |
Bram Noble and Valentine Kanu | 2025 | Follow-up Mitigation Measures |
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