New Knowledge Mobilization Projects Funded: 2025-26 Mobilize Grant Call 2 Results

Older adults living in rural Saskatchewan often depend on community networks for care, including personal support workers, volunteers, family and friends, and local organizations. In small towns and rural areas, these caregivers have many roles and limited access to clear, practical learning resources that are locally informed and meet their needs.

In this project, BetterLTC will work directly with rural communities to share e-Learning resources that focus on relational care, an approach that values relationships, trust, and collaboration in everyday caregiving. Short videos embedded in user-friendly e-Learning modules will be shaped by the lived experiences of rural caregivers and older adults and tailored to local needs. By strengthening shared understanding across rural care networks, this project aims to support older adults to grow older in their place of choice while building confidence and connection among those who care with them.

Opioid-related deaths, resulting from both recreational use and prescribed medications, continue to rise worldwide, and older adults are not immune to this crisis. Naloxone is a life-saving antidote that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by restoring breathing and preventing death when given in time.

Given the ongoing opioid crisis, naloxone should be considered an essential first aid item for all Canadians. Although naloxone is widely available across Canada, most educational materials are designed for younger people who use opioids recreationally. This has contributed to stigma and may discourage individuals with prescription opiods from accessing naloxone kits.

Older adults are at increased risk of opioid overdose due to multiple medications, chronic health conditions, and age-related changes. This project aims to address these gaps by developing a patient-friendly naloxone information booklet tailored for individuals living with pain, with a dedicated section for older adults and their caregivers.

Controlled Environment Agriculture technology is increasingly being adopted in Saskatchewan to address local food security challenges. Food banks often rely on donations, and much of the produce they receive has limited remaining shelf-life on delivery. Controlled Environment Agriculture technology for indoor agriculture, including hydroponics and aquaponics, can allow year-round food production and provide greater self-sufficiency.

A comprehensive Controlled Environment Agriculture Symposium in Fall 2026 will promote knowledge sharing between non-academic stakeholders from communities, non-governmental organizations, existing users of Controlled Environment Agriculture technology, and academic stakeholders in community health and various areas of technology and applied research. The main objective of this event is to stimulate partnerships that will increase the effectiveness and accessibility of Controlled Environment Agriculture technologies and co-develop future research priorities.

This event will formalize the emerging network, increase community engagement, consolidate existing knowledge, set research and development priorities, and foster partnerships.

Given that international students face oral health inequities compared to their domestic peers, this project will initiate targeted interventions to improve oral health outcomes for international students. Challenges in accessing care and in navigating insurance coverage are barriers noted by international students in our prior study. In collaboration with university student-centred organizations, our objectives are to develop a culturally appropriate educational campaign on oral health care for international students to provide knowledge that optimizes their oral health and provide international students with resources to navigate the Canadian oral health care system efficiently, including insurance coverage. Oral health is linked to overall health outcomes; thus, improving the oral health outcomes for this population has the potential to positively affect their overall health.

One in five Canadians lives with chronic pain, and the problem is especially prevalent in Saskatchewan. Access to non-pharmacological pain management strategies can be limited in rural and remote communities. Pain Reprocessing Therapy is a non-drug approach that retrains the brain to correctly interpret pain signals, often leading to long-lasting relief and even full recovery for many people. Our project will make Pain Reprocessing Therapy information easy to find and understand. We’ll create a special section on SaskPain.ca with short, accessible videos.

These resources will explain how Pain Reprocessing Therapy works and how it can help. We’ll also host interactive webinars for healthcare providers and share recordings online so they remain accessible. Presentations will be offered to community organizations. By sharing practical, evidence-based education, this initiative aims to close gaps in pain care and improve quality of life for people across Saskatchewan.

Alcohol-related visits to emergency departments place significant strain on health services in northern Saskatchewan. Recent analysis of local emergency department data, completed in partnership with community organizations, shows that youth, particularly young females, are disproportionately affected by alcohol-related emergency visits. However, this information is not always shared or discussed in ways that are accessible or meaningful to the community.

This project focuses on sharing and discussing existing local evidence with those most directly affected. Working in partnership with the Community Alcohol Management Plan, the Northern Alcohol Strategy, and youth-focused programs, the project will support small-group discussions with youth, Elders, and people with lived experience. Together, participants will interpret the findings and help shape prevention-focused messages that are relevant and youth-centred.

By returning local data to the community, this project aims to strengthen youth-led prevention efforts and support community-driven responses to alcohol-related harm in northern Saskatchewan.