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Training

Announcing the 2022 Training Innovation Fund winners!

We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2022 CHILD-BRIGHT Training Innovation Fund (TIF) competition!

The TIF facilitates innovative training initiatives that complement ongoing patient-oriented research (POR) activities focused on childhood brain-based developmental disabilities. For the 2022 TIF competition, we invited submissions related to the development of innovative tools and resources that develop capacity in the areas of knowledge mobilization, implementation science, or equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigenization.

Congratulations to the three winning teams:

Implementation Science and Knowledge Mobilization bite-sized videos for beginners

A graphic introducing the youth members of the “Implementation Science and Knowledge Mobilization bite-sized videos for beginners” project team.

Lead:

Carrie Costello, Parent Liaison, CHILD-BRIGHT Network, Patient Engagement Coordinator, Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba and University of Manitoba

 

Team members:

  • Onalee Garcia, Patient-Partner, Can-SOLVE CKD Network, youth with type 2 diabetes, Project iCARE

  • Shayna Quoquat, Patient-Partner, Can-SOLVE CKD Network, youth with type 2 diabetes, Project iCARE

  • Logan Wong, Patient-Partner, CHILD-BRIGHT National Youth Advisory Panel

  • Gillian Backlin, Patient-Partner, CHILD-BRIGHT National Youth Advisory Panel

  • Hans Dupuis, Patient-Partner, CHILD-BRIGHT National Youth Advisory Panel

Funding amount granted:

$10,000

Project timeline:

Sept 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023

Project summary:

The project team is co-creating a series of bite-sized videos in partnership with youth from CHILD-BRIGHT’s National Youth Advisory Panel (NYAP) and the Can-SOLVE CKD Network. These videos will enable researchers and patient-partners to have a shared understanding of the basic concepts of knowledge mobilization and implementation science with the aim of promoting more meaningful engagement as projects within CHILD-BRIGHT pivot towards Phase 2 priorities.

CEE you!: Critical Ethical Engagement of YOUth in patient-oriented research

Lead:

Sakiko Yamaguchi, Postdoctoral Fellow, CHILD-BRIGHT Knowledge Mobilization Program, McGill University

Team members:

  • Keiko Shikako, Researcher, McGill University, Co-Lead, CHILD-BRIGHT Knowledge Mobilization Program

  • Corinne Lalonde, Coordinator, CHILD-BRIGHT Citizen Engagement Program and National Youth Advisory Panel

  • Mathias Castaldo, Patient-Partner, CHILD-BRIGHT National Youth Advisory Panel

  • Shafniya Kanagaratnam, Patient-Partner, CHILD-BRIGHT National Youth Advisory Panel

  • Linda Nguyen, Postdoctoral Fellow, McGill University

Funding amount granted:

$10,000

Project timeline:

September 1, 2022 – August 31, 2023

Project summary:

This project team is co-creating a series of training modules with CHILD-BRIGHT’s National Youth Advisory Panel (NYAP). By exploring the perspectives and experiences of youth, these modules will create a better understanding of youth participation in patient-oriented research and enhance researchers' ethical engagement of youth with disabilities as partners.

Working with each other, our families and our communities: A guideline for partnered research initiatives that support immigrant and refugee families of children who are neurodiverse

Leads:

  • Rosslynn Zulla, Postdoctoral Associate, University of Calgary, Faculty of Social Work

  • Andrea MacLeod, Professor - Dept. Communication Sciences & Disorders, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, Associate Dean - Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Alberta

Team members:

  • Yvonne Chiu, Executive Director, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative        

  • Lucero Vargas, Bilingual Speech Language Pathologist, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative            

  • Tsedale Aregawi, Health Broker, Multicultural Health Brokers Co-Operative, Parent of a child with a disability, Eritrean Society Autism Edmonton

  • Julie Zhu, Health Broker, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, Chinese community with children with disabilities        

  • Atiya Syeda, Registered social worker and South Asian broker, Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative

  • Rispah Tremblay, Senior Manager, Settlement Services, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers

  • Wubetu Biabeyin, Research and Evaluation Coordinator, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers

  • Abdullah Ahmed, Program Coordinator – Complex Cases (Youth and Children), Enhanced Settlement Workers in Schools Program, Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers  

  • Danielle Schulte, Program Supervisor, Immigration and Settlement Service, Catholic Social Services


Funding amount granted:

$9,960

Project timeline:

September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2023

Project summary:

This project team is creating a written and video guideline that will enhance the capacity of patient-oriented researchers who wish to work with immigrant and refugee families of neurodiverse children. This project will also help enhance patient-oriented researchers’ competency in broadening the impact of research findings in immigrant and refugee communities.

We received many high-quality submissions this round and thank all those who submitted a proposal!

Azrieli CHILD-BRIGHT Fellowship Program

In collaboration with the Azrieli Foundation, CHILD-BRIGHT is looking to recruit a cohort of postdoctoral researchers to work on our implementation science research projects, and to help programs mobilize knowledge to action in support of children with brain-based developmental disabilities (BDD) and their families.

We are looking to fill 6 or more postdoctoral positions for up to two years. Ideally, qualified applicants will have strengths in implementation science research and expertise in disseminating research knowledge and supporting the uptake of evidence into practice.

Further, applicants should have a strong interest in patient-oriented research, a passion for supporting children with BDD and their families, as well as practically applying the core principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization, and Indigenization (EDI-DI) throughout health research.

Applications are encouraged by October 17, 2022. However, the application process will remain open until all positions are filled. Applications will be reviewed and assessed on a rolling basis as they are submitted.

Do not hesitate to contact pierre.zwiegers@child-bright.ca for further details as necessary, and please take a moment to share this opportunity within your networks to help us find these candidates.

Getting to know our Phase 2 Programs: Training & Capacity Building

As recently announced, the next phase of the CHILD-BRIGHT Network is being made possible thanks to a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), as well as matching funds from our generous partners. This support will allow us to grow from Network to Movement as we realize our mission for 2022-2026: moving our patient-oriented research into action through insight and methods grounded in implementation science and knowledge mobilization that embed the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigenization.   

In order to achieve this vision and become a movement for change for children and youth with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families, we have brought together experts from across Canada to lead our five patient-oriented programs.  

Our Training & Capacity Building (T&CB) Program will continue developing capacity in patient-oriented research, with new training opportunities that will emphasize topics related to understanding and applying implementation science (IS) and knowledge mobilization (KM) methods and equity, diversity, inclusion, decolonization and Indigenization (EDI-DI) principles as they intersect with patient-oriented research. To lead these efforts, Phase 1 Scientific Co-Director and Training Program Lead Daniel Goldowitz will be joined by Celia Laur as T&CB Co-Lead. 

 
Headshot of Daniel Goldowitz

Daniel Goldowitz 
CHILD-BRIGHT Scientific Co-Director and Training & Capacity Building Program Co-Lead  
Professor, Department of Medical Genetics 
Senior Scientist, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics               
BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) 
University of British Columbia

Headshot of Celia Laur

Celia Laur 
CHILD-BRIGHT Training & Capacity Building Program Co-Lead                                
Scientific Lead, Office of Spread and Scale  
Women’s College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care (WIHV)  
Assistant Professor (Status), Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation; University of Toronto 

 

We sat down with Dan and Celia to learn more about the T&CB Program’s plans for Phase 2:  

WHAT IS YOUR PROGRAM’S MANDATE? 

Daniel Goldowitz: The role of the T&CB Program is to design and host opportunities like studentships, fellowships, and mentorships, to meet IS, KM, and EDI-DI training gaps within the network. 

In Phase 1, the Training Program made great strides in training our members in patient-oriented research (POR) and building POR capacity. We did so by hosting webinars and workshops exploring the practical application of POR, offering patient-oriented summer studentships and graduate fellowships, and funding innovative POR approaches using our special award offerings, such as the Training Innovation Fund and Collaborative Mentorship Grant. Externally, we co-created a National Training Entity, which is now supported by CIHR. We also worked with BC and Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Units to create self-paced training modules in pediatric POR. 

A person uses a tablet computer.

Celia Laur: Building on what Dan said, we have three main goals for Phase 2. Firstly, we’ll develop capacity throughout our network so our members can apply the basic concepts of equity-informed implementation science to POR findings to help improve care and outcomes for children with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families. Secondly, we will develop capacity for our members to embed tenets of EDI-DI throughout POR projects to ensure that knowledge mobilization is informed by, and maximally benefits our diverse patient population. Finally, we will develop mentorship initiatives that train our research project teams to develop sustainability plans and implementation strategies to move research findings into practice. 

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO ACCOMPLISH THIS? WHAT ARE THE MAIN TOOLS (CONCEPTS, FRAMEWORKS) THAT WILL BE USED TO FURTHER THIS MANDATE? 

CL: We will create learning and funding opportunities to enhance our approaches to IS and KM and increase our capacity in EDI-DI. These will include webinars, self-paced learning modalities, scholarships, fellowships, mentoring, and coaching strategies. They will be tailored to relevant audiences and adapted to different competency levels. We will also leverage existing resources and collaborate with other organizations to develop training outputs that can be widely shared and disseminated across all SPOR entities. 

HOW WILL YOUR PROGRAM MEANINGFULLY ENGAGE PATIENT-PARTNERS? 

DG: The effort of the T&CB Program is guided by a committee comprised of multiple stakeholders who provide a diversity of perspectives. Critical to our approach is listening to the voices of our committed patient-partners who serve on this committee and are integral to developing all the exciting training and funding opportunities that we offer. Looking ahead into the new phase of the network, we are excited to not only cultivate a strong collaboration with the EDI-DI team, but to welcome new patient-partners to the T&CB Program committee to ensure that our efforts better serve historically underrepresented groups.  

CELIA, TELL US MORE ABOUT YOU. WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO TAKE ON THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE WITH CHILD-BRIGHT? 

CL: I’m an early career investigator, implementation scientist and health services researcher, so was very pleased to have the opportunity to work with this national network at a time when they are increasing their focus on putting knowledge into practice. Joining the T&CB Program aligns with my personal interests in capacity building and implementation science and my role with the Office of Spread and Scale at Women’s College Hospital. It also provides me the opportunity, in my own small way, to support children with brain-based developmental disabilities and their families. 

DAN, WHAT LEARNINGS FROM PHASE 1 WILL YOU BE LEVERAGING IN PHASE 2? 

DG: In Phase 1, I think we did an excellent job in training our students, fellows, family members and researchers. In Phase 2, we would like to build on the lessons learned and successes and then move our efforts to the larger community. 

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO FOCUS ON TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING IN PATIENT-ORIENTED RESEARCH NOW? 

Attendees in conversation at a poster presentation session.

DG: Patient-oriented research is still a very new initiative in the health care system, so continued efforts in this direction will serve to have a larger number of practitioners. With Phase 2, we are introducing IS, KM, and EDI-DI. These may be new concepts to many of our members and to the larger community, so it is important to help folks be aware of what these concepts mean, and how they support our efforts to support kids with neurodevelopmental disabilities.   

CL: To add to Dan’s point, each of these areas are interconnected and complement each other. We want to encourage people to learn about these areas together and see what make the most sense for each team to have the widest impact, particularly for embedding the principles of EDI-DI through the network.  

WHAT ARE YOU MOST EXCITED TO SEE IN PHASE 2?  

DG: It is like a new journey and therein lies the excitement, like we are on a sailing vessel that we have seen to be seaworthy. We’re now preparing the ship for the continuation of our voyage to exciting new lands. 

CL: To continue Dan’s analogy, I’m excited to be a new passenger on this ship! I’m looking forward to meeting people throughout the network and finding ways for us to all learn together.  

Thank you, Dan and Celia, for this insight into the Training & Capacity Building Program!  

If you have any questions about the plan for the T&CB Program in Phase 2, reach out to Program Coordinator Pierre Zwiegers. 

Learn more about our other Phase 2 programs: 

2022 Training Innovation Fund

CHILD-BRIGHT is proud to launch its 2022 Training Innovation Fund!

The Training Innovation Fund will provide a maximum of $10,000 in funds to facilitate innovative training initiatives that will complement ongoing Patient-Oriented Research activities that focus on childhood brain-based developmental disabilities.

With this opportunity we intend to support the development of innovative tools and resources that develop capacity in the areas of Knowledge Mobilization, Implementation Science, or Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Decolonization & Indigenization.

Applications are due July 15, 2022


Visit our grant competition page for details, eligibility requirements, and application procedure. Good luck!

CHILD-BRIGHT’s 2021 summer students reflect on their research experiences with the network

Every year, CHILD-BRIGHT is proud to help train a new cohort of students in patient-oriented research (POR) by supporting our project and program teams as they hire students for the summer. In 2021, we welcomed 14 students to the 2021 CHILD-BRIGHT Summer Studentship Program.

Below, our summer students reflect on their experiences working with many of our research project teams, learning about the principal tenets of patient-oriented research through our summer studentship training program, and trying their hand at “translating” research articles into lay-friendly summaries, which will be made available in our upcoming KT Library.

Here’s what they had to say:

PARENT-EPIQ

“Being a CHILD-BRIGHT summer student totally changed my understanding of research!”
— Amarpreet
“I am coming out of this experience inspired by the incredible work being done and all the possibilities open to me to make an impact.”
— Rachel

PIUO 

“As a librarian, I found it useful to gain firsthand knowledge of patient-oriented research and the research process. I see these experiences being tremendously helpful in the future as I continue to work with, and provide support to, researchers.”
— Matthew
 
“Thank you to the CHILD-BRIGHT Network and PIUO team for teaching me the importance and application of patient-oriented research.”
— Isobel
 
“Through engaging webinars, group activities, and discussion posts, I learned the benefits and importance of involving patients as partners in research studies.”
— Deena
“Even though this was my second time participating in the CHILD-BRIGHT summer studentship program, I learned many new things about patient-oriented research!”
— Ting
“Seeing the material I was learning about in [the summer studentship training modules] being applied in real time made the experience all the more valuable and memorable.”
— Claire
 
“This experience has helped me become acquainted with the research community and lab culture, something that I had very little knowledge of previously. I hope to continue trying to bring awareness to accessibility for all abilities in all areas of life, whether it be in future research, work, or everyday life.”
— Antonina
“My summer studentship experience of working on a CHILD-BRIGHT research project was nothing short of extraordinary!”
— Shi Ping
 
“I learned a lot about how critical it is to communicate complex and challenging scientific findings in lay terms to attract public attention.”
— Eisha
“I became more familiar with the tenets of patient-oriented research and the benefits that such research can have on patient outcomes and experiences.”
— Laura
 
“Not only did this experience firmly reinforce my passion for patient- and family-centered research, but it also taught me how to engage and collaborate with patients at all points of the research process.”
— Clara
“This summer, I learned that to have “good” patient engagement in research, it is vital to keep open lines of communication between the research team and the patients, families, and caregivers involved.”
— Claire

This summer, CHILD-BRIGHT also welcomed student Chloe Janse van Rensburg. Chloe participated in the studentship training sessions while working with CHILD-BRIGHT Parent Peer Mentor Carrie Costello and PIUO Family Liaison Laesa Kim on their project, which was funded by a CHILD-BRIGHT Collaborative Mentorship Grant. Their project examines the benefits and drawbacks of asking parents to use their personal networks (such as social media, email, and other connections) to recruit for research.

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The CHILD-BRIGHT Network is supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under Canada’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Initiative.

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