IAPH August 2007 Newsletter
In this issue
Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research
CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal Peoples
Ontario Partnership for Aboriginal Women's Health
New Advisory Board Members
First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey
2007 Scientific Director's Award Winners
Contact Us
Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research:
CIHR-IAPH Supports the Next Phase of Capacity-Building and Advancing Aboriginal Health Research In Canada
In July 2007, the successful applicants to the CIHR Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research (NEAHR) were announced by CIHR; funding for this national program commences October 2007. In total, nine operating grants and one planning grant were successful in their application. The successful applications for proposed centres include seven regional NEAHR centres across Canada, and two national centres. The majority of successful applicants to the NEAHR competition currently hold CIHR Aboriginal Capacity and Developmental Research Environment (ACADREs) grants.
The NEAHR program has four objectives that include: knowledge translation to improve the health of Aboriginal communities; advancing capacity and infrastructure in Aboriginal health research; securing funding opportunities to conduct research; and development of a collaborative CIHR Network Environment for Aboriginal health research across Canada while sustaining and evolving the existing ACADREs. It is anticipated that the NEAHR program, while sustaining essential elements from the ACADRE program, will evolve in the development of a national Aboriginal health research network that has a vital role in collaborative research and knowledge translation with the aim of improving the health of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples' health in Canada.
There are eight ACADRE centres that span the country; the ACADREs formed a national network to coordinate their collaborative activities, formerly known as the ACADRE Network, is now known as the Aboriginal Health Research Networks (AHRNets). Further information about the AHRNets can be found at their website.
Results of the CIHR Network Environments for Aboriginal Health Research Competition can be found on the CIHR website.
CIHR Approves Guidelines for Aboriginal Health Research:
Respect for Aboriginal Communities and Cultures are Cornerstone to the New Guidelines
The approval of the CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People ("the guidelines") by CIHR Governing Council in March 2007 marks the beginning of a new era in research for Aboriginal health researchers and Aboriginal communities in Canada. First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities engaging in health research can now feel assured that their cultural values, property and community needs will be respected through the development of research agreements that protect the interests of communities and institutions.
In response to appeals from Aboriginal people for the creation of safeguards in health research undertaken in their communities, CIHR-IAPH in partnership with the CIHR Ethics Office have created the first national ethics guidelines that will protect Aboriginal peoples and enable much needed research aimed to improve Aboriginal peoples' health. The guidelines will apply to all CIHR funded research, and aim to ensure that research with Aboriginal communities is conducted according to the highest standards in ethics, cultural competency, and equity in partnerships.
Three years in development the guidelines are the result of in-depth reviews of existing ethical frameworks, drafted with the advice of an expert Aboriginal Ethics Working Group. The draft guidelines underwent extensive national and regional consultations with Aboriginal communities and researchers through the national network of ACADRE centres (now known as the Aboriginal Health Research Networks or AHRNets).
The CIHR Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People will contribute the process undertaken by the Tri-Council National Consortium to revise section 6 of the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS), which addresses research involving Aboriginal people. The TCPS is the common statement of research ethics policy for research that is funded by Canada's three national granting agencies: CIHR, NSERC, and SSHRC .
National and regional communications and education initiatives will occur to ensure that once the guidelines are implemented researchers, institutions and Aboriginal communities are ready to utilize the guidelines in future research applications and ultimately funded projects by CIHR. The guidelines are available on the CIHR website.
Partnership to Focus on Aboriginal Women's Health in Ontario
CIHR-IAPH in partnership with the Ontario Women's Health Council (OWHC), an advisory body to the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided funding for research on cardiovascular disease or mental illness in Ontario Aboriginal women across the lifespan.
The maximum amount awarded for a single grant is $100,000 per annum for up to two years; CIHR anticipates that approximately two grants will be funded through this competition.
Information regarding this funding opportunity can be found on the CIHR-IAPH Funding Opportunities web page.
CIHR-IAPH Welcomes Two New Institute Advisory Board Members
CIHR-IAPH is pleased to welcome two new Institute Advisory Board (IAB) members that begin their terms September, 2007. Fred Wien, PhD, and Stanley Vollant, MD, FRCSC are examples of the excellence and achievement in Aboriginal health that is represented on the CIHR-IAPH IAB.
Dr. Wien has held academic appointments for over 35 years in the areas of social work, international education, and public affairs. He served as the Director of the Maritime School of Social Work from 1981, to 1986. In addition, Dr. Wien has served as the Deputy Director of Research at the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples between 1992 and 1996. He is the nominated principal applicant for the Atlantic Aboriginal Health Research Program at Dalhousie University.
Dr. Stanley Vollant is an accomplished surgeon and renowned advocate for Aboriginal health; he has received numerous awards and distinctions. He has served as a board member for the Canadian Medical Association, President of the Quebec Medical Association and a number of advisory councils to the province of Quebec and the government of Canada. Dr. Vollant is currently the Director of the Aboriginal Health Program at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa.
CIHR-IAPH expresses its gratitude to the contributions of two inaugural Institute Advisory Board members that have recently completed their terms, Richard Jock, MEd and John O'Neil, PhD. Mr. Richard Jock and Dr. John O'Neil have demonstrated exceptional leadership within their careers and in their contributions to the development of CIHR-IAPH strategic initiatives.
First Nations Regional Longitudinal Health Survey (RHS) :
Funding Opportunity for Researchers and First Nations to Collaborate on Joint Research
Launched in July 2007, this funding opportunity is a result of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), the First Nations Information Governance Committee (FNIGC) and CIHR-IAPH. The MOU commits the signatories to support the RHS through collaborative research activities. The RHS holds the distinctive status of being the "only First Nation's governed, national health survey in Canada", and is an important source of national and regional information on the health status and health determinants of on-reserve First Nations people in Canada. The RHS will be conducted every four years until 2016.
Respecting the FNIGC RHS Code of Research Ethics, and First Nations principles of Ownership, Access, Possession and Control, this important collaborative funding opportunity requires researchers to obtain permission to access data from the FNIGC, hosted at the AFN, as a prerequisite to their funding application. It is anticipated that secondary analysis undertaken as a result of this funding opportunity will raise awareness of the health status of First Nations people in Canada, and maximize the value of RHS data for knowledge translation to improve the health of First Nations. Knowledge translation will include traditional academic mechanisms such as publishing results in peer-reviewed academic journals, and culturally appropriate initiatives with First Nations.
CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health, a partner on this funding opportunity, will consider funding proposals specifically in the area of maternal and child health.
For more information about the FNIGC and the RHS, see their web site.
For full information on this funding opportunity, see the CIHR-IAPH Funding Opportunities web page.
Excellence in Aboriginal Health Research Trainees - Scientific Director's Awards 2007:
Awards Presented by Dr. Jeff Reading to Recipients at the 7th Annual National Gathering of Graduate Students in Aboriginal Health Research
The CIHR-IAPH Scientific Director's Award is given annually to recognize outstanding Aboriginal health research trainees at the Master and Doctoral levels. This year four were selected from a number of excellent applications, based on the potential of their research to improve Aboriginal peoples' health, and their potential as future researchers in Aboriginal health. The awards are provided across the four domains of health research: biomedical, clinical, health services and systems, and population and public health.
On June 25, 2007 at the University of Manitoba, the awards were presented by Dr. Jeff Reading, Scientific Director, CIHR-IAPH at the 7th Annual National Gathering of Graduate Students in Aboriginal Health Research 2007. Following the awards presentation, the four award recipients each presented on their respective research projects.
The 2007 Scientific Director's Award of Excellence recipients are:
Julie Bull, BA
Julie is a Masters student in Applied Health Services Resarch at the University of Prince Edward Island. Julie's research will focus on the use of the CIHR Guidelines for Research Involving Aboriginal People by Labrador Aboriginal community leaders in ensuring the ethical conduct of research in their communities.
Treena Delormier, MSc, PDt
Treena is a Doctoral Candidate in Public Health (Health Promotion) at the Université de Montréal. Treena's research will develop a theoretical approach to studying food and eating patterns as social practice that will be tested in an Aboriginal community; it is anticipated that the research will be applied in diabetes prevention intervention and research in the Mohawk community of Kahnawá:ke.
Christopher Mushquash, HBSc, MA
Christopher is a Doctoral Student in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University. Christopher's research will examine the relationships between specific personality characteristics and motives for alcohol use in Aboriginal adolescents. The goal of the research is to develop and implement an alcohol intervention in Aboriginal communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Amanda Ritchie, BSc, MSc.
Amanda is a Doctoral Student in Philosophy in Medical Sciences Research, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto. Amanda's research will study factors related to breast cancer survival of First Nations women in Ontario; factors include at stage diagnosis, treatment, personal characteristics, risk factors, and access and quality of health care will be examined. It is anticipated that the results may support improvements in cancer care for First Nations women.
Contact Us
CIHR-IAPH (Victoria)
Scientific Director
Dr. Jeff Reading
Tel: 250-472-5451
jreading@uvic.ca
Associate Director
Mr. Earl Nowgesic
Tel: 250-472-5453
nowgesic@uvic.ca
Senior Advisor
Ms. Namaste Marsden
Tel: 250-472-5452
namaste@uvic.ca
Office Manager
Mrs. Mary Hum-Wan
Tel: 250-472-5449
mhumwan@uvic.ca
Mailing Address
CIHR - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
University of Victoria
P.O. Box 1700, STN CSC
Victoria, BC
V8W 2Y2
Phone: 250-472-5449
Fax: 250-472-5450
Courier Address
CIHR - Institute of Aboriginal Peoples' Health
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
University of Victoria
Saunders Annex 130C
3800 Finnerty Road
Victoria, BC
V8P 5C2
CIHR-IAPH (Ottawa)
Assistant Director
Partnerships, Knowledge Translation, and International Relations
Laura Commanda
Tel: 613-946-6495
Fax: 613-954-1800
lcommanda@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Project Officer
Jacques Dalton
Tel: 613-941-0424
Fax: 613-954-1800
JDalton@cihr-irsc.gc.ca
Mailing Address
CIHR Corporate Headquarters
Room 97, 160 Elgin Street
Address locator: 4809A
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0W9
Phone: 1-888-603-4178
Fax: 613-954-1800
