Join us for public policy forums, regional workshops, and other great events.
Learn about new sessions, opportunities and reports in the April edition of the Regional. 
Latest News and Events
Synergy Session:
Are Prisons the New Asylums?
Inmates with Mental Health Issues and the Role of Segregation

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 
12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Suncor Fluvarium, St. John’s

Free admission for IPAC-NL members,
$15 for non-members, $10 for students and new professionals

Prison populations worldwide are increasing, including in Canada, and the profile of prisoners is changing, with an increasing presence of inmates with mental illnesses. In this province, prison administrators, not health administrators, are responsible for providing mental health services inside correctional facilities, which presents its own challenges.

Presented by the Harris Centre and the Institute for Public Administration of Canada.


Dr. Colleen Hanrahan will offer an overview of the implications for prisoners and correctional facilities, and the emerging trend for the healthcare system to assume responsibility for health services in prisons

Mr. Howard Sapers reviewed the use of segregation in Ontario Correctional facilities as the Independent Advisor to the Government of Ontario on Corrections Reform. He will discuss his findings and the recommendations to address screening, treatment and alternatives to segregation for those with mental health challenges in a correctional setting.



New date: MUNbuttoned
PhDs On the Go
Friday, April 7, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Rocket Room, 272 Water Street

Free admission, everyone is welcome.

Are you curious about the research going on at Memorial? This is your chance to learn more! Eight Memorial PhD students will present snapshots of their diverse and compelling research in six minute whirlwind presentations during this interactive event. 

This is a live event inspired by a recent partnership with the School of Graduate Studies and CBC Radio. 

MUNbuttoned is the Harris Centre's festival of research. Learn more at www.munbuttoned.ca

Have an idea?

Yaffle provides a place for anyone around the province to suggest projects that they would like to see Memorial working on. Just click on “submit an opportunity” to get started. 

These suggested projects are shown as “opportunities” in Yaffle, and you can search existing opportunities for inspiration.

Once you suggest a project, it comes right to the Harris Centre. We then try to find Memorial faculty, staff or students to work with you to get the project done.

If you have an idea and you aren’t sure whether it would make a good project, or you aren’t sure how to word it, get in touch with Amy Jones at [email protected] or 864-6115 to talk about it.

Yaffle Your Next Project: Mi’kmaq community developing social enterprise tourism

Yaffle.ca is Memorial’s online connecting tool.

One of its most significant jobs is to provide a way for people from outside Memorial to ask for research help. With hundreds of community-suggested opportunities to choose from, your next project is just a click away. 

The Mi’kmaq community of Flat Bay wants to develop social enterprise tourism in the region.

Mr. Ivan White, tourism development and marketing officer is hoping Memorial could become involved in the necessary research that will be needed to complete a destination marketing plan and assess the feasibility of Flat Bay as a Mi’kmaq tourism destination.

Read more about this opportunity here.


For more information, contact:
Amy Jones
Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator

[email protected] |  864-6115

Funding Opportunities
Harris Centre - MMSB Waste Management Applied Research Fund

Deadline: April 7, 2017

Do you have an idea for a project that could address NL's solid waste management challenges? We have funding to help! 

Open to all faculty, students and staff at Memorial, the  Harris Centre - MMSB Waste Management Applied Research Fund provides up to $15,000 per project/per year to investigate waste management issues in Newfoundland and Labrador.  

Click  here for more information or contact:

Mandy Strickland 
Coordinator, Yaffle and Funding Programs 
[email protected] | 864-2919
New Reports 
Summary Report: Southwestern Newfoundland Regional Workshop

The Harris Centre's Summary Report for the Southwestern Newfoundland Regional Workshop, held in Stephenville, Oct. 25-26, 2016, is now available. 



Testing Domestic Rainwater Harvesting as a Measure to Improve Drinking Water Access 
This project by  Maura Hanrahan and Nick Mercer aims to turn the results of previous research on the impacts of water-insecurity into community-based action by implementing a small-scale water security pilot project in the Southern Inuit island community of Black Tickle-Domino, which is extremely water-insecure. 

Funded by the Harris Centre-RBC Water Research and Outreach Fund, t he project aims to increase drinking water access by increasing access to general purpose water, thus allowing people to direct efforts to drinking water retrieval.

Organic Waste in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador produces a variety of organic waste streams ranging from municipal to farm, fishery and timber production. This study by
Adrian Unc et al carried out a best estimate of the amount of these waste streams to understand their potential utility as a nutrient source or biochar for use in an agricultural context.

Funded by the Harris Centre-MMSB Waste Management Applied Research Fund, t he assessment presented here confirms that organic wastes are a valuable resource for agricultural production and sustainability. 

The Harris Centre | (709) 864-3143 | [email protected] | www.mun.ca/harriscentre