Specific benefits research can bring within the context of Inuit‐focused CBA projects include: Practical information and benefits: There are a number of practical reasons for researchers being involved in community adaptation, including the ability to facilitate financial and human resources to which communities otherwise would not have access; the focus on issues which would likely be neglected given the present day nonclimate‐related challenges facing Northern settlements; providing support to interpret jargon‐laden scientific reporting about climate change into meaningful information; the ability to advocate for policy needs to broader levels of government; the opportunity to link communities in different regions facing similar challenges with climate change; the ability for researchers to be more neutral and work across kinship boundaries in communities; and the potential to help define and pursue answers to research questions of relevance to community members, especially where incomplete or inaccurate information constrains adaptation. Furthermore, given historical experiences of research in the North, the focus on working with communities in projects in which indigenous knowledge is highly valued can help to legitimize and enhance confidence in such knowledge systems to the science community in general, to policy makers, and in some instances to communities themselves (e.g., Ref 81). Future focus: While environmental change in itself is not new in the North, and while indigenous knowledge and practice have evolved and continue to evolve in this context,90 the magnitude of projected changes in climate and their long‐term directional nature may challenge Inuit conceptualizations and understanding of environmental (in)stability and government planning.91, 92 Research can have an essential role in facilitating consideration of how projected future changes may impact communities and livelihoods, affect government policy and programming, and challenge the rights of Inuit (e.g., as per land claims agreements). Evaluation: The development of an evidence base on the potential effectiveness of community adaptations based on the integration of Western and indigenous knowledge is an important area within which research can contribute. This is particularly important if higher levels of government are to support adaptation programming in the context of other pressing needs. Accountability across scales: CBA prioritizes the community as the entry point for adaptation, yet responses in one location can displace impacts and vulnerabilities to other communities, regions, or to future generations.92, 93 Research has an important role and a responsibility in examining the extent to which community adaptations are optimal across sectors and regions, and within the context of current and projected stressors, and of being mindful of how potential adaptation recommendations or strategies could impact other areas.