Rural Development Institute

Brandon University’s Rural Development Institute, as a centre for excellence in rural development, helps foster rural community  development and community resiliency through research and information on issues unique to rural areas.

Established in 1989, RDI’s principle activities are designing and conducting multi-disciplinary academic and applied research on rural issues; and communicating this information to rural community stakeholders. While its primary focus is on rural and northern areas of Western Canada, RDI maintains relationships with other researchers in Canada and abroad.

Priding itself on a collaborative approach, RDI encourages a multi-disciplinary research environment and promotes the development of projects with rural community stakeholders. The Institute has diverse research affiliations and multiple community and government linkages related to its rural development mandate. RDI disseminates information to a variety of constituents and stakeholders and makes research information and results widely available to the public either in printed form or by means of public lectures, seminars, workshops, conferences and website.

Our Research

RDI’s rural research is highly relevant to rural policy-makers and to the people who live and work in rural areas. Ideas for the research activities undertaken by RDI research and project teams are developed through contact with rural groups, towns, rural municipalities, villages, governments, international researchers and observers of rural situations.

Research domains are directly linked to rural development issues including:

• Community economic development
• Community leadership
• Environment and agro-economic issues
• Information management and technology utilization
• Policy and program research and development
• Rural adaptation and change
• Rural health
• Rural knowledge and mobilization
• Rural tourism

Tools for Community Development

Currently, RDI is involved in a number of projects directly related to community social and economic development issues. Examples of this work include the Community Adjustment Handbook and Toolkit, designed to aid community organizations in developing effective community-based action plans, as well as the Rural Community Health and Well-Being: A Guide to Action guidebook, designed by researchers and communities involved in a Determinants of Health Project.

Project Facilitation

RDI encourages the development of research activities and projects. Through the Brandon University Community Outreach Service, projects are facilitated and connections made between communities, researchers and students. Funded by Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives and administered by RDI, the Community Outreach mandate is to match community needs to faculty and student interests both on a voluntary basis and through the Annual Call for Proposals. For more information on the service, consult the Web site at http://outreach.brandonu.ca.

Collaboration

RDI’s collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach has led to strong university, community and government linkages. The RDI Advisory Committee plays an important role in fostering collaborative activities. Membership of the Committee includes rural community stakeholders, provincial and federal government representatives and Brandon University faculty. Its role is to act as a sounding board concerning the future development and advancement of the Institute.

The Institute has diverse research affiliations, and multiple community and government linkages related to its rural development mandate. Faculty members from the Department of Rural Development join with colleagues from other Brandon University academic departments and from across Canada to undertake rural research and policy development. RDI also has research linkages
with a number of major research institutions and research networks. These research affiliations include:

• Canadian Community Economic Development Network
• Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research
• National Rural Research Network
• Canadian Community Economic Development Network (CCEDNet)
• Canadian Consortium for Health Promotion Research
• Canadian Rural Health Research Society
• Community Economical Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP), Carleton University
• Manitoba Research Alliance on Community Economic Development in the New Economy
• National Rural Research Network (NRRN)
• New Rural Economy Research Project (NRE) (Concordia University)
• Rural Team Manitoba
• Rural Team Saskatchewan

A Resource for Communities, Researchers and Students

As a resource for communities, researchers and students, RDI encourages academic, policy, government and community interest in rural research. As a conduit of information to rural policymakers and rural community stakeholders, RDI’s research and project team attend meetings, make conference presentations, prepare publications, participate in or lead forums and discussion groups
and facilitate community development discussions.

RDI assists researchers internal to Brandon University as well as external researchers from other organizations with proposal development, establishment of project teams, information management, as well as publication and dissemination of research findings. RDI’s close affiliation with Brandon University’s academic Department of Rural Development and other university departments provides a unique inter-disciplinary learning and working environment for students across a number of disciplines. RDI launched a Student Internship Program, which provides graduate and undergraduate students opportunities to apply theory to practice. Student interns are working on various RDI projects.

For more information about RDI contact William Ashton, Director, Rural Development Institute,
Brandon University, 204-571-8513 or ashtonw@brandonu.ca. Additional information about the Rural
Development Institute is available: Website: www.brandonu.ca/rdi Email : rdi@brandonu.ca