Supporting impactful community research
Our grants and research awards are designed to seed-fund research projects led by experienced academic researchers and community researchers/service providers collaborating to address gaps in community mental health and addressing community needs, while integrating the insights of people with lived experience into each stage of their project.
Gabrielle Kang-Auger
A facial fracture can affect daily functioning and appearance, yet its longer-term relationship with mental health is not well understood. Gabrielle Kang-Auger is studying Quebec hospital records to examine whether patients hospitalized for facial fractures have different subsequent mental health hospitalization risks than people without such fractures.
Sarah Prosper
Nature can create space for young people to reflect, connect and talk about mental health in their own ways. Sarah Prosper worked with Indigenous youth from Eskasoni Mi’kmaq First Nation using photovoice to explore how nature and nature-based programming can support well-being, self-expression and youth-led conversations about mental health.
Sianna Williamson
Finding meaningful work can support well-being, but employment systems do not always reflect Inuit cultural and social realities. Sianna Williamson’s research with Ivirtivik explored the employment experiences of Inuit people in Montréal, identifying barriers and supports that can inform more culturally safe and inclusive approaches to employment.
Karen Aglukark
Healing from trauma is deeply shaped by relationships, culture and community. Working with Aqqiumavvik Society in Arviat, Karen Aglukark explored Inuit understandings of healing and social support, generating community-informed knowledge to support more culturally respectful mental health research and practice in Nunavut.
Laurence Sonier
For firefighters, workplace culture can shape whether mental health concerns are discussed and whether support feels accessible. Laurence Sonier’s research with firefighters in Edmundston, New Brunswick examined how stigma, organizational culture and workplace relationships influence help-seeking, identifying practical opportunities to strengthen mental health support within fire services.
Peter Gilhuly
Recovery from addiction and intergenerational trauma can look different when healing is grounded in culture, community and lived experience. Peter Gilhuly’s Sacred Synergy project worked with Takla Nation to explore community-led approaches to recovery, creating space for people to share their experiences and identify culturally grounded pathways toward healing and wellness.