About MPRI
Established in 2017 under Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan and renewed in 2022, Canada’s Multi-Partner Research Initiative (MPRI) brings together international researchers and knowledge holders to advance research and technology innovation in support of evidence-based decision making for improved oil (and alternative fuel) spill response.
Currently led by Natural Resources Canada, the MPRI’s main objectives are to:
• Improve available tools, techniques and technologies in spill response
• Foster Canada’s involvement in international networks of oil spill response experts
• Foster meaningful Indigenous participation in oil spill research
• Mobilize knowledge
• Train the next generation of oil spill responders
During Phase 1 (2017 – 2022), MPRI was led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and provided over $50 million to 40 research projects focused on ship-sourced oil spills in marine environments. See DFO's MPRI
Phase 1 cumulated in the highly successful IOSSC 2022, which took place October 4 - 7, 2022, in Halifax, Canada, with virtual sessions held on October 13 and 14. IOSSC 2022 brought together over 250 in-person attendees and more than 150 virtual participants from around the world. The conference served as a global platform for sharing the latest advancements in oil spill science, including topics such as spill prevention, response planning, remediation technologies, ecological recovery, and environmental policy.
Now under the direction of Natural Resources Canada, MPRI Phase 2’s mandate has expanded to include spills of both conventional and alternative fuels in freshwater, coastal and marine environments from land and marine based sources (including pipelines and offshore platforms). In addition, MPRI is dedicated to supporting the integration of Indigenous knowledge and perspectives into oil spill response and research.
NRCan’s MPRI has invested over $20.3 million in 27 projects across Canada, involving ~300 researchers from 90 institutions and 6 countries. This includes 7 Indigenous-led projects that bridge, braid, or weave Western science and Indigenous methodologies to address Nations’ priorities. See NRCan's MPRI
Building on the success of IOSSC 2022, MPRI is proud to support IOSSC 2026, a timely opportunity to showcase the new knowledge and innovations generated under the Initiative and elsewhere, and to strengthen national and international partnerships.
MPRI Newsletter
