Sentinel North: A large-scale interdisciplinary strategy
Between 2015 and 2025, Université Laval’s Sentinel North strategy aimed to gain a better understanding of the northern environment and its impact on human beings through interdisciplinary research initiatives and state-of-the-art technologies.
Pushing the boundaries of knowledge for the North
Sentinel North was born from the convergence of Université Laval’s strategic research disciplines, in particular, northern and Arctic sciences, optics and photonics, cardiometabolic health and the microbiome, and neuroscience. With an ambitious research and training program — at the confluence of the environment, health, and innovation — the strategy quickly evolved to become a collective mission encompassing the University’s vast research community, its research centers and institutes, as well as a network of national and international collaborators and partners.
By fostering innovative collaborations focused on the major issues affecting the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, Sentinel North has transformed the University’s research and training ecosystem and paved the way for entirely new research avenues.
Integrated research results
Sentinel North has contributed to significant advances in understanding the human-environment system, with a focus on health and sustainable development in the North.
The results of the research conducted by interdisciplinary teams have been compiled into syntheses that provide a comprehensive perspective on the complexity of Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems — from microbiomes to the biosphere — on infrastructure, as well as on the determinants of health and well-being of northern populations.
A legacy for the future
Sentinel North has helped to establish and strengthen collaborations with leading institutions in more than 26 countries. The initiative has also helped train a new generation of committed scientists who are better equipped to tackle the complex challenges facing society.
The data, knowledge, and networks generated by Sentinel North will continue to fuel and inspire Arctic and Subarctic research initiatives for decades to come, thereby amplifying the collective impact of Université Laval.
Sentinel North in Numbers
- 90 interdisciplinary teams
- 45 departments across 9 faculties
- 14 funded research chairs
- 215+ professors from Université Laval and beyond
- 700+ students and postdoctoral fellows trained
- 350+ collaborations in Canada and abroad
- 4,600+ scientific publications and communications
