Research & Innovation Week 2026

Lakehead University's 21st Annual Research & Innovation Week's planning is well underway.  The events (e.g workshops, student poster/oral presentations, and speaker panels) will run from February 23 to February 27, 2026 on the Thunder Bay campus, and on March 3, 2026 on the Orillia campus.

Lakehead University's R&I Week delivers on 3 key goals:

1. To celebrate and showcase research excellence 
2. To raise public awareness about research and its benefits to society, and 
3. To facilitate research collaborations

Research excellence is promoted throughout the year, but especially during our annual Research & Innovation Week. A number of awards are given out during this week, including the Distinguished Researcher Award, the Research Excellence Award, the Building Research Capacity Award, the Innovation Award and many more.

Research & Innovation Week provides an avenue for researchers (faculty, students and research staff) and their partners, to showcase their research. The event includes both graduate and undergraduate student conferences. Achievements in graduate student research are celebrated through the Three-Minute Thesis, GradFlix and Graduate Student Research Excellence awards, which encourages high quality presentations and publications by graduate students.

The contributions of faculty and students are also promoted locally, nationally, and internationally to raise the profile of Lakehead University's research activity and expertise.

2026 Theme

Shaping the EvoLUtion - Our Next-Gen Transformative Research 

Join us for Research & Innovation Week 2026 as we celebrate how research and innovation are “Shaping the EvoLUtion” of Lakehead University. The week builds on the recent launch of Lakehead’s new 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, showcasing change-making projects that will strengthen community engagement, advance sustainable solutions, foster equity and reconciliation, and drive economic and social innovation. 

As Lakehead University also marks its 60th anniversary, Research & Innovation Week offers an opportunity to recognize six decades of transformative research - from groundbreaking work in natural resources management and engineering to advances in health and environmental science to social justice and community-engaged research. This Week highlights the innovative and interdisciplinary approaches our researchers take to solving pressing societal challenges, including by integrating cutting-edge, future-focused technologies like AI with deep expertise in our traditional areas of strength.  

Join us as we honour a remarkable 60-year legacy with engaging presentations, inspiring speakers, and interactive workshops. Lakehead University continues to lead the way, Shaping the EvoLUtion through research and innovation that matters.