NATIONAL RESEARCH
ADVISORY COUNCIL
About the
The 30Forward Research Advisory Council (RAC) is a national collective of academics, policing professionals, and subject-matter experts dedicated to advancing evidence-based understanding of women’s representation, leadership, and inclusion in policing across Canada.
Formed under the 30Forward initiative, the Council guides and strengthens all research and evaluation activities that inform our national movement. Its members work collaboratively to ensure that 30Forward’s priorities, programs, and partnerships are grounded in credible data, research integrity, and real-world impact.
Purpose
The Research Advisory Council provides strategic direction and academic oversight for 30Forward’s research, in collaboration with universities, police services, and professional associations, the Council:
- Connect academic researchers with police services, policymakers, and practitioners.
- Collaborate on studies, literature reviews, and evaluations to advance policing.
- Contribute to the national evidence base supporting 30Forward’s goals.
- Communicate findings to inform practice across Canada.
30Forward is building a national network of accessible researchers, experts who are available to collaborate with police services, partner on projects, and support members seeking evidence-based insights and evaluation. Through this network, members can connect directly with academics working on topics that align with 30Forward’s mission, fostering collaboration between research and practice.
PROGRAMS & INITIATIVES THROUGH THE RAC
Virtual Scholars Program
A national platform connecting researchers and practitioners to advance collaborative, applied research aligned with 30Forward’s mission.
30Forward Research Sumit | March 2026
In March 2026, the 30Forward Research Advisory Committee hosted a strategic summit to bridge the gap between academic evidence and operational policing. The event brought together approximately 30 practitioners and researchers from 10 police services and multiple universities and colleges across Canada to translate lived experience into a fundable research roadmap.
The summit was organized into four key pillars, each producing specific research priorities:
1) Recruitment and Retention
Participants identified the need for nationally consistent, validated benchmarks that reflect the skills required in modern policing. Key priorities included evaluating “pre-hire women’s bootcamps” and investigating the role of “critical mass” theory for improving retention.
2) Mentorship and Leadership
Discussion focused on the distinction between passive mentorship and active sponsorship. A major research priority is the audit of early mentorship and training opportunities to ensure new recruits receive support from day one.
3) Allyship and Inclusive Culture
The group aimed to move psychological safety from a buzzword to a metric. Priorities include quantifying the “downstream costs” of toxic environments (e.g., litigation, sick leave) and using behavioural “nudges” to shift organizational norms.
4) Health, Wellness, and Operational Flexibility
A new focus emerged on the “invisible load” carried by women. Future research will examine transitions in and out of maternity leave, equipment equity for women’s bodies, and support for high-pressure roles during menopause.
Next Steps: The 30Forward Research Advisory Committee will meet formally in the coming weeks to establish dedicated working groups around these themes. These groups will decentralize the work and begin the process of turning these priorities into active, multi-site studies.
The 30Forward Research Advisory Council is co-led by two national leaders dedicated to advancing evidence-based, inclusive policing in Canada.
Craig Bennell, PhD
Professor, Department of Psychology,
Carleton University
Director, Police Research Lab
Co-Editor, Applied Police Briefings
LinkedIn
Learn More About Dr. Bennell
Craig Bennell is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University and Director of Carleton’s Police Research Lab. He sits on the Research Advisory Committee and Use of Force Committee for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. He also sits on the Advisory Board for the Canadian Police College and Co-Chairs the Program Advisory Committee for the Police Foundations Program at Algonquin College. Most recently, he has taken on the role of Co-Chair of the newly established Research Committee for Canada’s 30Forward initiative – an initiative dedicated to supporting and advancing women in policing.
Craig is a past President of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology, a previous editor for the Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, and he currently sits on the editorial boards of several leading forensic/police psychology journals. He also proudly co-edits (with Dr. Kirk Luther) Applied Police Briefings, which has the mission of making high quality policing research widely accessible to the police community, free of charge, and in a way that is easy to understand and implement.
Together with a great group of students and collaborators, Craig partners with Canadian police services to conduct research related to evidence-based policing, with a particular focus on police use of de-escalation strategies and use-of-force, police responses to people in crisis, particularly mental health crises, and public understanding of policing. His research has been funded through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, the Canadian Police Association, the National Police Federation, Carleton University, and other funding agencies.
Learn More About Dr. Luther
Kirk Luther is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, and Director of Carleton’s PRISM Lab (https://carleton.ca/prismlab/). He sits on the Research Advisory Committee for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Most recently, he has taken on the role of Co-Chair of the newly established Research Committee for Canada’s 30Forward initiative.
Kirk is the proud co-founding editor (with Dr. Craig Bennell) of Applied Police Briefings (https://appliedpolicebriefings.com/index.php/APB), which has the mission of making high quality policing research widely accessible to the police community, free of charge, and in a way that is easy to understand and implement. Kirk is also the Associate Editor for the Journal of Criminal Psychology and an Editorial Board Member for Psychology, Public Policy, and Law. He is the previous Editor in Chief for Investigative Interviewing: Research and Practice, the official journal for the International Investigative Interviewing Research Group (iIIRG).
Together with inspirational students and collaborators, Kirk works with Canadian and international police and security services to conduct research related to evidence-based policing, with a particular focus on investigative interviewing. His research has been funded through Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Carleton University, the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Centre for Research and Evidence on Security Threats (CREST), the iIIRG, the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC), and other funding agencies.