WELCOME TO THE RECOVERING IN PLACE RESEARCH LAB (RIPL)! 

Place is more than just a physical location, it is a meaningful space that imbues a sense of safety and belonging.

 
“If we think of space as that which allows movement, then place is a pause; each pause in movement makes it possible for location to be transformed into place” (Tuan, 1974, p. 6). 

RIPL was launched in 2021 by Dr. Victoria Burns, PhD, RSW, a researcher in long-term recovery from addiction.   

RIPL is comprised of researchers, practitioners, and people with lived and living experience (PWLLE).   

RIPL is committed to transdisciplinary community-based action research that centers PWLLE. 
 

RIPL recognizes that recovery involves more than personal change: It requires co-creating places where people can pause and find community, purpose, and belonging. 

RIPL's  rippling impacts are tangible, and extend beyond the ivory tower: In addition to traditional scholarly mediums (e.g., peer reviewed journals), we use media (e.g., social media, documentary film, and podcasts) to make research more accessible and inclusive.  

RIPL is  committed to real change; we do not believe in drive-by research:  Our action-oriented research has inspired the co-creation of the UCalgary Recovery Community --> which expanded into  Recovery on Campus Alberta, the 1st province-wide collegiate recovery initiative in Canada.  

Our work has been supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Telus StoryHive, UCalgary's Campus Mental Health Strategy and Faculty of Social Work, the Government of Alberta, and UCalgary's Student Union.