Biography

Kelly Bannister, BSc, MSc, PhD

Dr Kelly Bannister is Co-Director of the POLIS Project on Ecological Governance and a Research Associate since 2000. She applies her background in Ethnobiology to policy-relevant research and collaborative education on biocultural diversity, in collaboration with a number of First Nations and community non-profit organizations. Her focus is on ethical and legal issues in research involving biodiversity and Indigenous cultural knowledge, and the potential of local governance mechanisms (e.g., codes of ethics, community research protocols) to address power relations and facilitate equitable research practices. Her ultimate goal is the evolution of new institutional frameworks (i.e., principles, policies, practices) that support collaborative and equitable research between universities, rural communities and First Nations.

In 2001, Kelly developed the Community-University Connections initiative at POLIS and facilitated a pilot project in the Clayoquot Sound region to help foster respectful and mutually beneficial collaborative research approaches between academic researchers, community groups and First Nations. She has collaborated with the office of the Vice President, Research,  the office of Director, Cooperative Education and the Human Research Ethics Board on campus-wide initiatives to support and enhance community-based research and learning opportunities, and establish good ethical practices.

Kelly is a former Adjunct Professor in the School of Environmental Studies (Faculty of Social Sciences) where she designed and taught courses on biocultural diversity and collaborative research. She is currently appointed as Adjunct Associate Professor in Studies in Policy and Practice (Faculty of Human and Social Development).

Kelly is a steering committee member of the Intellectual Property Issues in Cultural Heritage project, which began in 2008. The project is based at SFU and has  seven years of funding under the MCRI program of SSHRC.

Kelly is an active Board member and co-chair of the Ethics Program for the International Society of Ethnobiology (ISE). She facilitated the completion of the ISE Code of Ethics in 2006 and is developing an online ethics toolkit to promote the values, principles, and practices upon which the Code of Ethics is based.