CRI Vision: "To make every river a healthy river" by using outstanding fresh water and estuarine science and serving the needs of society. The Institute: The Canadian Rivers Institute (CRI) was founded in 2001 as a collaboration of researchers at the University of New Brunswick at both the Fredericton and Saint John campuses. The mandate of the CRI is to develop the aquatic science needed to understand, protect, and sustain water resources for the region, nation, and the planet. Initially founded with two Canada Research Chairs and two additional professors, the CRI has grown to include 23 Science Directors (10 of which are Canada Research Chairs), 47 Associates, and 83 students supported by 22 staff members. Our Objective: The objective of the CRI is to build a network of researchers with common interests in aquatic science across universities, government, and industry. The CRI uses a multidisciplinary and cross-sector approach to focus its research on societal demands for water resources while addressing the challenges of sustaining, healthy aquatic ecosystems. This innovative model merges academic ideas-based and applied needs-based science and promotes the rapid transfer of new knowledge to regulatory agencies to create effective public policy for improving society and the quality of life in Canada and abroad.