51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Ú

Engagement

Pacific Water Research Centre

The vision of the Faculty of Applied Sciences’ Pacific Water Research Centre (PWRC) is to promote and mobilize research that addresses water issues on multiple scales ranging from local communities to national to global. In pursuit of this vision, PWRC connects critical findings from science and social science research with local knowledge. By supporting cross-disciplinary exploration at the interface of water science, social values, and public policy, the Centre provides a forum for advancing evidence-based research and concrete societal change.

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Research, Teaching and Learning

Community-led water monitoring 

In 2025, SFU's faculty research associate Erin Gill (Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry) and One Yukon Coalition CEO Mathieya Alatini received funding to co-lead ChùNet, a project developing environmental DNA monitoring with northern, rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Funded by Genome Canada/Genome BC, this project develops training for community-led sampling and analysis, helping communities investigate concerns such as pathogens, changing fish populations and biodiversity while respecting First Nations rights and sovereignty.

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Connecting water monitoring across Canada

51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚScience Professor Fiona Brinkman  co-leads iMicroSeq, a $1.7 million project announced in 2025 to strengthen coordination of environmental DNA monitoring across Canada. By developing common data standards and integrating datasets into a Canadian-hosted, open-access portal, the project aims to improve knowledge sharing and enable faster, more cost-effective responses to public health and environmental threats. The team, working the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, will adapt and expand the VirusSeq Data Portal developed during the pandemic, and use SFU’s Cedar Supercomputing Centre for data analysis. The resulting iMicroSeq portal will be hosted at McGill University, with 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿ÚCloud cataloguing ongoing projects.

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Secured Futures

The secured futures project is a PWRC endeavor lead by Nastaran Arianpoo and Andrew S. Wright. The project is developing an understanding of the complex interactions between and trade-offs between food, water, energy, natural and cultural resources as the world transitions toward a low-carbon economic future.

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Nutrition through Engagement and Agricultural Technologies 

Nutrition through Engagement and Agricultural Technologies (N-EAT) is a Pacific Water Research Centre project that works with diverse First Nation communities in British Columbia (BC) and Alberta. The goal of this project is to improve the health, prosperity and economic wellbeing of these communities to achieve food sovereignty while ensuring sustainable access to water and energy. 

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Providing Sustainable Potable Water and Greenhouse Crops

Water, energy and food security are some of the most pressing challenges to our global community. This project – funded through a prestigious Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships Advanced Scholars (QES-AS) Program – addressed these issues by providing opportunities to changemaking researchers. The program aimed to strengthen and broaden existing partnerships with institutions in developing countries by enhancing their capacity around clean technologies that integrate water, energy and food security.

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Facts and Figures

• 125 research publications relating to SDG 6, 2021-2025 (source: Scopus)
• 135 research projects related to SDG 6 were funded from 2021-2025
• Since the 2018/19 academic year, 51ÁÔÆæÈë¿Úhas offered 5 courses relating to SDG 6, representing over 144 students

Operations

Water Conservation

SFU’s Burnaby campus uses approximately 680,000 m3 of potable water each year. The Water Tower acts as a reservoir for domestic water and firefighting for the campus. Over the years, Facilities Services has implemented several projects to reduce water consumption and improve water resource management.

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