Retrospective on Research Licensing in the NWT
The Retrospective on Research Licensing in the NWT are reports exploring research trends in the NWT. The first was a 10 year retrospective, and looks at licensing information from 2000 to 2009.
As a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration for research in the Inuvik Region, a 40 year retrospective was prepared which looks at licensing information from 1974 to 2013, the years for which licensing information is availible.
There is Federal, Territorial, and Aboriginal Land Claim/Treaty legislation under which multiple research regulatory agencies administer permitting responsibilities for research within the Northwest Territories. The retrospective reports used permitting information for the NWT to examine areas of overlap, or to analyze any trends in the licensing data.
Regions and Maps of the NWT
The process of consultation within each of the various regions of the Northwest Territories differs due to the different socio-political infrastructures that are in place. Refer to the table below for communities in each region of the NWT, or to our Licensing Summary Tables. Each of the six regions is further broken down under its own section. You are strongly advised to begin the consultation process at least three months before beginning your research. The online application will provide direction for the review process.
| Inuvialuit Settlement Region | Aklavik, Ulukhaktok, Inuvik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, and Tuktoyaktuk |
| Gwich'in Settlement Region | Aklavik, Fort McPherson, Inuvik, and Tsiigehtchic |
| Sahtu Settlement Region | Colville Lake, Déline, Fort Good Hope, Tulita, and Norman Wells |
| Dehcho Region | Enterprise, Fort Liard, Fort Providence, Fort Simpson, Hay River, Hay River Reserve, Jean Marie River, Kakisa, Nahanni Butte, Sambaa K’e, and Wrigley |
| Dettah, Ndilo, Wha Ti, Gameti, Rae-Edzo, Wekweti, and Yellowknife | |
| South Slave Region | Fort Resolution, Fort Smith, and Lutsel K’e |
Licensing Summary Tables
We put together the following tables to help you navigate the licensing and permitting processes required to do research in the Northwest Territories (NWT). You may wish to use them to find out which agencies you need to contact before starting your research.
How to use the Licensing Summary Tables:
- Go through the tables for each research component of your project - different kinds of research have different licensing and/or permitting processes.
- Start with the Physical and Biological Sciences project table or the Social Sciences project table, depending on the nature of your proposed research project.
- Check the additional requirements table for any other approvals you may need.
- You may require extra licences or permits in some situations – for example, you will require a work visa if you are a foreign citizen working on a research project in Canada, and a Wildlife Export Permit if you intend to ship animal parts outside the NWT. Find more examples of additional licenses and permits in Appendix B of our Research Guide.