What is iRISE?

We live on a stressed planet. The impact of human activities on the structure and functioning of Earth’s systems has been so significant that we now live in a geological epoch of our own making - the Anthropocene. Human-caused global events threaten the future sustainability of the planet and exacerbate inequities. The U of T Scarborough community is rising to meet these local and global challenges.

iRISE is a hub for Convergent Research Aimed at Solving our World’s Most Wicked Problems

The challenges of the current climate crisis, the health of our planet, the health and well-being of individuals and societies, and the inclusiveness and sustainability of local and global economies are all intertwined to an unprecedented extent. The solution to these challenges is rarely linear (the preferred path of many) nor without unrealized twists and turns associated with living in an unprecedented time. iRISE provides organizational, human, and financial resources for convergence research that is needed to address these interdependent challenges. This convergence research cannot be accomplished through existing departmental structures.

iRISE and its member institutes and programs provide support for research and innovation at U of T Scarborough and beyond: facilitating internal and external collaborative research partnerships; identifying and pursuing research funding opportunities; fostering entrepreneurship and commercialization of scholarly endeavours; and heightening the visibility of the accomplishments of U of T Scarborough scholars.

iRISE will help create new narratives of our future and the realization of socially-just and -equitable transitions towards that future.

The founding institutes and initiative are:

• Institute for Environment, Conservation, and Sustainability
• Institute for Inclusive Health and Well-Being
• Institute for Inclusive Economies and Sustainable Livelihoods
• SDGs@UofT