Dr. Michael Quinn Associate Vice-President – Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement The Office of Research Services 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW, Calgary, AB, Canada T3E 6K6 tel. 403.440.6069 fax. 403.440.6299 research@mtroyal.ca
1 November 2017 Dr. Walter Dixon Interim Vice-President (Research) Office of the Vice-President (Research) University of Alberta, 2-51 South Academic Building (SAB) Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G7
RE:
Letter of Support and Interest in Participation from Mount Royal University for the Canadian Mountain Network NCE
Dear Dr. Dixon, It is with tremendous enthusiasm that I write in support of the LOI application to establish the Canadian Mountain Network as National Centre of Excellence. I have reviewed the Letter of Intent Application and discussed the initiative with Matthew Berry, your Director of Partnership Development. This is a timely and much needed network that will solidify Canada’s role in mountain-related research. Mount Royal University (MRU) would be an active participant in the Canadian Mountain Network with potential contributions across all four of the identified challenges including, but not limited to: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
mountain parks and protected areas, the benefits of mountains to human health and well-being, headwaters management for water quality and quantity, the role of mountains in mitigating downstream climate change effects, mountains and community sustainability, environmental humanities related to mountain areas, the history of mountain areas and their relevance to Canadian identity, Indigenous peoples and mountain areas, global issues in mountain area management, business and economic aspects of mountain area management, ecology and ecosystem services, geology and geography of mountain ecosystems, mountain community resilience and community disaster research policy and governance of mountain areas.