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Queen's Northern Research Symposium 2026

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, April 8, 2026

Location: Bioscience Complex, Queen’s University, Kingston

 

Register Here

Registration Deadline: April 2, 2026

Please register by April 2 so we can order food accordingly. If this date has passed, you are still welcome to attend the conference, but lunch will be for those who registered before this date!

The Queen’s Northern Research Symposium (QNRS) will include a wide range of topics that address the imperatives, challenges, and opportunities of contemporary Arctic research.

We welcome submissions from any student within or outside Queen's, studying any topic related to the north, including physical, biological, health, and social sciences, and humanities. Presentations can focus on research results, or any aspect of northern research practice, including community engagement and reconciliation efforts. We have oral and poster presentation options, as well as a new lightning talk option!

The abstract submission deadline has passed. However, please send us an email if you've missed the deadline; we may be able to accommodate late submissions.

Contact

Email: queens.nrs@gmail.com

QNRS

About QNRS

The Queen’s Northern Research Symposium is a student-run symposium bringing together researchers from across and beyond Queen's to celebrate northern research across disciplines. This event provides a unique platform for students to share their research, connect with peers, and gain deeper insights into the challenges and opportunities in northern research.

Sponsors

Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University

School of Environmental Studies, Queen's University

Department of Geologic Sciences and Geologic Engineering

 

Interested in supporting QNRS as a Sponsor? Email: queens.nrs@gmail.com

 

 

 

The 2026 Queen's Northern Research Symposium is organized by the Queen's Northern Research Network, an interdisciplinary community dedicated to fostering collaboration, knowledge exchange, and best practices in northern research.

QNRN Logo

Keynote Lecture

Interacting effects of mining legacies and climate change on metal(loid) cycling in northern environments by Dr. Mike Palmer

Mike Palmer is the Senior Aquatic Scientist at the Aurora Research Institute in Yellowknife, NT and an adjunct professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at Queen’s University.

Mike is a physical geographer by training, with broad interests related to the chemical response of lakes to human activities, including mining impacts and climate change.

Mike leads a small research team that collaborates widely with universities, government agencies and communities. The research team uses techniques from a wide variety of disciplines, such as limnology, hydrology, and geochemistry to address pressing environmental issues in the North. 

 

FAQ

This year's conference will be held in person at Queen's University on April 10th, 2025.

No! Students of all backgrounds, at all levels, and from all universities are welcome to apply.

There will be three presentation formats at QNRS 2025. 

  • Oral presentation: Oral presentations will be between 10-12 minutes, typically accompanied by a slide deck. Presentations will be organized into themed sessions, with a few minutes for questions after each presentation.
  • Poster presentation: Posters will be displayed throughout the symposium and presented during dedicated poster sessions. Conference attendees will have the chance to view the different posters, meet the presenters, and ask questions. Posters can present research results, or anything else that fits on a poster board, including photos or artwork. 
  • Lightning talks *New this year*: Maximum 3 minute talks with at most one slide, given one after the other, with discussion afterwards. This is a great option for anyone presenting on proposed research, or who'd like to highlight a specific aspect of their work. 

We welcome submissions from any domain of northern research, including physical, social, life, and health sciences. Presentations can focus on research results, or any aspect of northern research practice, including community engagement and reconciliation efforts. 

No! QNRS is completely free to attend. We thank our generous sponsors for making this possible. If you'd like to help keep QNRS accessible in future years, please contact queens.nrs@gmail.com. 

2025 Organizing Committee

Natalie de Freitas

QNRS 2026 Co-Chair

I’m a first year MSc student in the Geography and Planning Department at Queen’s University. My research, supervised by Dr. Melissa Lafrenière, is focused on high Arctic biogeochemistry and hydrological processes at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory. I’m investigating the transport of sulfate and trace metals throughout Arctic watersheds from permafrost to lake environments. I’m really excited to be apart of the Queen’s Northern Research Symposium this year!

Chloe Earnshaw-Osler

QNRS 2026 Co-Chair

I’m a second year MASc student in the Civil Engineering Department at Queen’s University. I did a specialization in environmental chemistry in my undergrad, and am now working closely with the Aurora Research Institute in Yellowknife to investigate the impact of wildfire on the mobilization of historic mining contamination into surface waters. After several years of experience doing northern research at Queen’s, I'm excited to be part of the QNRS organizing committee this year!

Lydia Morrow

QNRS 2026 Co-Chair

I am a first year MASc student in the Civil Engineering Department at Queen’s University under the supervision of Stephanie Wright. My research examines the impact of wildfire and climate variability on water quality and mercury cycling in subarctic peatlands. My work takes place at the Scotty Creek Research Station, which is owned and operated by the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation. I was involved in northern research throughout my undergrad at Queen’s and am excited to help plan QNRS!

Olivia Winslow

QNRS 2026 Organizing Team

I'm a 4th year undergraduate student (BScH in Environmental Geology), currently doing a thesis on the biogeochemistry of arsenic derived from mining contamination in Yellowknife, NWT. I plan on expanding this project further as an MSc, delving into how the mineralization, speciation, and behaviour of arsenic contamination is impacted by a prescribed fire planned to occur at the field site. The goal of this project is to understand the impacts of fire on legacy metal(loid) contamination, especially as climate change increases the frequency, severity, and intensity of wildfires.

Abbi Baran

QNRS 2026 Organizing Team

I am a Research Coordinator and Field Technician in the Civil Engineering Department at Queen’s University, working with Dr. Élise Devoie and Dr. Stephanie Wright. My work supports multidisciplinary field research in the community of Whatì, Northwest Territories, including studies on groundwater and surface water systems and quality, permafrost thaw, wildfire impacts, and fish habitat. I am excited to collaborate with a great team of students to organize QNRS and to learn more about the outstanding northern research taking place at Queen’s.