Objectives and Research Priorities
The Research Chair on Reserve Force aims to develop and implement a medium- and long-term scientific research program dedicated to the study of the role, functions, and evolution of the Primary Reserve within the Canadian Armed Forces. The chair adopts an interdisciplinary approach that draws on political science, strategic studies, military sociology, history, and security studies, while maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the institutional and operational needs of Canadian defence stakeholders to support evidence-based decision-making.
The chair’s mission is built around three core objectives:
To generate original knowledge grounded in empirical evidence and comparative analysis of the Reserve as both a military institution and a component of Canadian society.
To inform public policy and decision-making processes related to defence and security.
To promote knowledge transfer to end users, including the Canadian Armed Forces, government partners, and allied organizations.
The chair’s research program is organized around several priority research areas, considered essential to understanding and advancing the Reserve Force.
First Research Stream
A first research stream focuses on the integration of the Reserve Force and the Regular Force. It examines the institutional, organizational, and cultural mechanisms that enable effective, sustainable, and mutually accepted integration. This stream also explores the Reserve’s distinctive role as a force multiplier, a reservoir of specialized expertise, and a territorial component of Canada’s national defence.
Second Research Stream
A second research stream is dedicated to strategic foresight and long-term planning in environments characterized by uncertainty, volatility, and complexity. The chair employs strategic foresight tools to anticipate transformations that may affect the Reserve, including changes in missions, structures, personnel, and capabilities.
Third Research Stream
Mobilization and readiness constitute a third research stream. Research in this area examines national mobilization frameworks, personnel and equipment readiness, delayed mobilization, and the role of the Supplementary Reserve, while taking into account the logistical, legal, and organizational constraints associated with these processes.
The chair also seeks to advance research on the integration of emerging capabilities within the Reserve, particularly in the areas of cyberspace, intelligence, operational support, and specialized capabilities. In addition, it will examine the interoperability and engagement of Canadian reserve forces within multinational frameworks, especially within NATO.
Cross-cutting research themes will address education and professional development, environmental and socioeconomic issues, public-private integration, and the historical, ethical, and sociological dimensions of reserve service. Collectively, this body of research aims to strengthen the Reserve’s societal foundations and support its adaptation to contemporary challenges.
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