Three Canada Research Chair (CRC) appointments have been renewed for leading researchers at Trent University, ensuring continued national recognition and support for their groundbreaking work in the humanities and social sciences. 

“These renewals speak to the extraordinary calibre and continued impact of Trent’s research community,” said Dr. Holger Hintelmann, vice-president of Research & Innovation at Trent University. “Our Canada Research Chairs are advancing knowledge and action on issues that matter people across Canada and around the world.” 

Dr. Whitney Lackenbauer, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in the Study of the Canadian North, has been renewed for a seven-year term with $1.4 million in funding. A leading authority on Arctic sovereignty and northern security, Professor Lackenbauer’s research explores Canada’s evolving role in the circumpolar world and the intersection of Indigenous, national, and international interests in northern policy and governance. His research takes him regularly to the Canadian Arctic, where he can often be found alongside the Canadian Rangers on operations riding snowmobiles, ATVs, and in helicopters. Prof. Lackenbauer contributes directly to public policy as the network lead of the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN) based at Trent.

A prolific author, his latest books include Northwest Passages: Navigating the Canadian Arctic from Gjøa to Harry DeWolf (co-edited 2025), Canadian Arctic Defence and Foreign Policy: Recent Developments (edited 2025), and Canadian Arctic Sovereignty and Security, Volume 2: Historical and Legal Perspectives (edited 2024). 

Dr. Anne Pasek, renewed as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Media, Culture, and the Environment, securing $500,000 over five years to advance work at Trent on climate change, media technologies, and sustainability. Professor Pasek’s research examines how digital companies are increasingly shaping energy policies and markets, for both good and ill. 

Dr. Naomi Nichols has been renewed for her second term as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Community-Partnered Social Justice.  Through the CRC program, Trent University will receive $500,000 over five years to support Professor Nichols' research with community organizations on social inequities and the development of practical tools and policies to promote justice and systemic change.  

In her first term as a CRC, Prof. Nichols established the Research for Social Change Lab and secured more than a million dollars in additional research funding as a principal investigator. Along with the CRC funding, the grants have supported training opportunities for student and community researchers, the publication of several peer-reviewed articles and creative open-access resources, and organization of several knowledge exchange events. 

Funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the CRC program supports world-class researchers whose work drives discovery, engagement, and innovation. 

Learn more about the Canada Research Chairs Program and the Research Support Fund.