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CALL FOR PAPERS
Rural Research Workshop
“Policy and Research in Community Investment”
May 24-25, 2012
Bytown Pavilion, 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario
[Call for Papers: http://www.crrf.ca/?page_id=556]
Continuing the theme of relating policy to research, and vice versa, the second national Rural Research
Workshop (RRW) “Policy and Research in Community Investment” will focus on the complex
relationships between policy and research as they relate to the practice of rural community investment.
This workshop will critically explore the three-way interrelationships between policy, research and
development practice. How do they relate to each other? What lessons have we learned from these
experiences? How can we improve the connectivity between these three? How can a positive
interrelationship be crafted to enhance the creativity and effectiveness of rural community investment?
This participatory workshop will also address the challenges facing public policy for municipal, provincial,
territorial and federal governments, community-based and other organizations, the co-operatives sector, as
well as the private sector. The research challenges for academe, practitioners, non-government
organizations, and others will also be explored.
Our goal is to connect practice (e.g. local economic development, youth recreation services, elder health) to
the design of public policy at all levels of government, and connect the policy making process and content to
research and practice. At the Workshop, we hope to present a wide range of related challenges and
opportunities. We will also ensure that the findings of both research and front-line practice inform each
other, and inform policy.
Community (re)investment has to be understood in its complete context which, today, involves several
complex interrelated streams. These include: the implications of globalization; evolving systems of
governance; the challenges of place-based approaches to development; the rediscovery of the role and
relevance of the social economy; the role of innovation, learning and knowledge mobilization;
transformative development; capacity development; and changes in our demographic profiles. Papers
addressing these and other related topics, attending to the policy/research/practice dynamic, will be
considered for presentations.
The design of policy and research must inform our investment in rural communities, and they in turn must
be informed by development practice. What are the challenges, lessons, and opportunities here, be they
theoretical, conceptual, practical, or other?
Paper presentations must include a research purpose and objectives, methodology or approach (if
applicable), a summary of the research results and suggested policy contributions. Up to 24 presentations
can be accommodated. Proposals and presentations may be in English or French. A group of three paper
proposals may be submitted for consideration as an organized session. Each presentation will be restricted
to 20 minutes.
Proposals should indicate the name of each author, the e-mail and telephone number of the contact
author, the language of the presentation (English or French), paper title and an abstract of no more than
200 words. As a Workshop outcome, authors may be invited to submit full papers to be considered for
inclusion in a journal special edition.

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DEADLINE AND MILESTONE
Proposal submission deadline: January 20, 2012
Please complete the online Paper Abstract Submission form: http://www.crrf.ca/?page_id=558
(Note: After submitting your information a note will appear at the bottom of the online submission
webpage to indicate either a successful” or unsuccessful transmission.)
If you experience difficulties with the online form or process, you can make an offline submission.
1. Obtain the form (a Word document) by sending a request to RRWPaper@gmail.com with this subject
line “Request – Paper Abstract Submission form”.
2. Submit your completed form by e-mail to RRWPaper@gmail.com with this subject line “RRW Paper
Abstract Submission + your full name”.
(Note: You will be sent an e-mail confirming the receipt of your offline submission form within 1-3
business days.)
Notice of acceptance: To be sent in early February 2012
Note: Participating authors will only need to pay the student registration fee.
WORKSHOP CO-HOSTS
Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF)
Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA)
Canadian Rural Health Research Society (CRHRS)
CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS
Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN)
Canadian Rural Health Research Society (CRHRS)
Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat (RCS) [Government of Canada]
Rural Development Network (RDN) [Government of Canada]
Rural Ontario Institute (ROI)
STEERING COMMITTEE
Alberta Centre for Sustainable Rural Communities (ACSRC)
Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN)
Canadian Rural Health Research Society (CRHRS)
Canadian Rural Research Network (CRRN)
Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation (CRRF)
Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service (NRCan, CFS)
Regional Innovation Chair in Rural Economic Development, Selkirk College
Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat (RCS) [Government of Canada]
Rural Development Network (RDN) [Government of Canada]
Rural Ontario Institute (ROI)
The Monieson Centre, Queen’s University
For additional information, please contact:
David Douglas – Chair of the Steering Committee, Chair of the Programme Sub-Committee
and Co-host, second national RRW / Past President, CRRF – at djdougla@uoguelph.ca
Bookmark this page http://www.crrf.ca/?page_id=720! Links to the specific Web pages relating to the
Workshop programme (including speakers), registration dates and fees, and other information will be added
here periodically.