Sustainable Rural Communities Research Program
Research > Conduct Research > OMAFRA > Sustainable Rural Communities Research Program > Mission and executive summary
Mission Statement
To contribute to the sustainability of rural Ontario by undertaking research that is effective in improving the economic, social and environmental conditions of rural communities.
Executive Summary
Based on the learnings from the 1995-1999 Program and particularly the framework building projects in Phase Two, the following research program is proposed. It addresses directly the research priorities identified by the Ontario Rural Research and Services Committee (ORRSC) and is supported by The Ontario Rural Council (TORC). There are four priority areas:
- Economic Development
- Responding to Change and Restructuring
- Capacity Building
- Information Technology
The four year program of research will emphasize partnerships and research collaboration with communities, OMAFRA staff and rural stakeholders. An operating budget of $140,000 p.a. is secured with one Faculty FTE and one Technical FTE as program support. Together with support for the SRC Director, and University overhead, the total program budget is approx. $480,000.
The operating principles of the program are to maintain local research sites for community based research; to emphasize practical outcomes for rural stakeholders; and to focus on technology transfer as an integral part of the research package. It is expected to reach a 1:0.5 ratio of matching funds for the operational part of the program.