CSRPI Logo CSRPI

Coen-Sanchez Research & Policy Institute

Research • Policy • Knowledge Mobilization

The Coen-Sanchez Research & Policy Institute (CSRPI) is a bilingual, federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit research organization founded and led by Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez.

About CSRPI

Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez

Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez, PhD
Founder & Executive Director

The Coen-Sanchez Research & Policy Institute (CSRPI) is a bilingual, federally incorporated Canadian not-for-profit research organization dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research, education, and knowledge mobilization in human systems, public policy, institutional governance, and equity.

CSRPI was established to strengthen the connection between rigorous academic research and the practical realities of institutions and communities. The Institute examines how policies, governance structures, organizational cultures, and institutional practices shape human experiences and outcomes.

Through independent qualitative and applied research, policy analysis, and knowledge mobilization, CSRPI translates research findings and lived experiences into evidence-informed insights, frameworks, and resources that can inform institutional policy and practice.

The Institute supports research and collaboration across academic, government, public-sector, and community environments, creating opportunities for interdisciplinary scholarship and meaningful dialogue between researchers, decision-makers, practitioners, and communities.

Research Agenda & Focus Areas

CSRPI's research agenda builds upon Dr. Coen-Sanchez's scholarship on institutional governance, systemic barriers, organizational culture, equity, and Human Systems Mediation™, while providing an independent platform for the continued development of research addressing complex institutional and societal challenges.

Institutional Governance

Research on governance structures and their impact on institutional effectiveness and equity.

Systemic Barriers

Examining structural obstacles that impede equity and organizational change.

Organizational Culture

Investigating how institutional culture influences human experience and outcomes.

Equity

Centering equity in research, policy, and knowledge mobilization work.

Human Systems Mediation™

Dr. Coen-Sanchez's innovative approach to institutional and systemic change.

Policy Analysis

Rigorous analysis of policies and their real-world impacts on communities.

Theoretical Frameworks

CSRPI's research approach is grounded in two interconnected theoretical frameworks that guide our understanding of institutional systems, human experience, and evidence-informed change. These frameworks form the intellectual foundation for our research, policy analysis, and knowledge mobilization work.

Human Systems Framework

This framework centers on understanding how human experience, agency, and lived realities intersect with institutional systems, governance structures, and policy contexts. It provides a lens for examining the complex relationships between individuals, communities, and organizational environments.

Human Systems Framework

System Framework

Developed in conjunction with the Human Systems Framework, this framework maps the systemic structures, processes, and interconnections that shape institutional and organizational functioning. It provides tools for analyzing how policies, governance mechanisms, and organizational practices create conditions that affect human experiences and outcomes.

System Framework

Together, these frameworks enable CSRPI to conduct rigorous research that integrates structural analysis with attention to human experience, ensuring our findings and recommendations are grounded in both systemic understanding and lived reality.

Institutional Partnerships & Affiliations

CSRPI's research and knowledge mobilization activities are strengthened through academic partnerships and institutional affiliations that provide interdisciplinary expertise, research collaboration, and opportunities for broader engagement.

University of Ottawa — Office of the Vice-Provost, Equity, Diversity and Inclusive Excellence (EDIE)

An institutional research partner supporting executive advisory engagement, knowledge mobilization, leadership-level dialogue, and opportunities to test and strengthen evidence-informed research and policy tools.

Queen's University — Faculty of Education

An academic research partner providing senior research advisory support, methodological and peer-review expertise, research mentorship, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration and dissemination.

Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas, York University — Associate Fellowship

Through Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez's Associate Fellowship, CSRPI benefits from an established academic affiliation that supports research development, knowledge mobilization, communications, and the organization and dissemination of research activities and events.

Together, these relationships strengthen CSRPI's capacity to connect independent research with academic expertise, institutional engagement, and knowledge mobilization across Canada's research and policy landscape.

Knowledge Mobilization

CSRPI is committed to translating research findings into accessible, actionable insights for decision-makers, practitioners, and communities. Our knowledge mobilization efforts ensure that evidence-informed perspectives reach those who can implement institutional and policy change.

Through research reports, policy briefs, presentations, and collaborative engagement, CSRPI bridges the gap between academic research and practical application, fostering informed dialogue on complex institutional and societal challenges.

Research Partnerships & Institutional Inquiries

CSRPI welcomes opportunities for research partnerships, interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge mobilization, and institutional engagement. We invite academic institutions, government agencies, public-sector organizations, and community groups to connect with us about collaborative research and institutional inquiry work.

Leadership

Dr. Karine Coen-Sanchez, PhD

Founder & Executive Director

PhD in Sociology & Anthropology

Associate Fellow, Harriet Tubman Institute for Research on Africa and its Diasporas, York University

Former Co-Chair, SSHRC's Advisory Committee to Address Anti-Black Racism in Research and Research Training

Founder, Karine-Consults.com

Dr. Coen-Sanchez is a sociologist, researcher, and policy scholar whose work examines the relationship between institutional systems, governance, policy, and lived human experience. With extensive expertise in institutional governance, systemic barriers, organizational culture, and equity, Dr. Coen-Sanchez brings a unique interdisciplinary perspective to complex institutional and societal challenges.

Awards & Recognition

Academic Awards

  • • 2023 President's Award for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
  • • 2023 Nia Award, ONABSE
  • • 2023 Knowledge Mobilization Prize
  • • 2023 SWAAC Award in EDI

Research Funding & Fellowships

  • • MITACS Accelerate Grant (2022)
  • • SSHRC Partnership Engage Grant (2022)
  • • SSHRC Special Initiatives Fund (2022)

Featured Work

Her research and insights have been featured in The Conversation, Policy Options (IRPP), University Affairs & Academic Matters, The Toronto Star, Troy Media, The Nikki Clarke Show, La Presse, HR Reporter, CAUT Bulletin, EdCan Network, The Sociological Review Magazine, 360info, and University of Ottawa.

Contact the Institute

For research partnerships, institutional collaborations, knowledge mobilization initiatives, and general inquiries, please contact:

Coen-Sanchez Research & Policy Institute (CSRPI)

Bilingual, Federally Incorporated Canadian Not-for-Profit Research Organization

Mailing Address

1338 Wellington Street West, Unit 10
Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 3B7
Canada