SHRF is kicking off another year of health research funding with the 2023-24 Align Grant. These short-term and targeted research initiatives ensure that health research is supported by interdisciplinary teams and in alignment with the needs of the province. Congratulations to this wave of recipients. - Patrick Odnokon, SHRF CEO
The Align Grant encompasses SHRF's first funded projects of 2023-24 and the opportunity for Saskatchewan health researchers to inform, coordinate, develop research priorities and plans for the year ahead.
The Align Grant was first established in 2022 with the goal of providing funding to enable the:
Development and engagement of robust interdisciplinary research teams; and
Completion of activities that shape research to align with the context and needs of Saskatchewan.
This grant is part of SHRF's Connections Program, which prioritizes knowledge mobilization and collaboration outside of academic settings.
The Align Grant includes several calls each fiscal year, allowing researchers to coordinate their existing or upcoming initiatives with these targeted alignment opportunities.
SHRF is proud to announce the recipients of the 2023-24 Align Grant, Call #1 in addition to the 2023-24 Align Grant, Child and Youth Health. While Call #1 is open to all areas of human health research, the Child and Youth Health call reflects SHRF’s 2023-24 ‘Child and Youth Health Solutions Focus Area’, with the goal of supporting SHRF Solutions Program applications later in the year. Combined, this round of funding has supported 11 research projects, for a total investment of $109,444.
2023-24 Align Grant, Call #1 Recipients
Angela Baerwald | University of Saskatchewan Vivian Ramsden | University of Saskatchewan $9,998 Development of an Evidence-Informed Strategy for Primary Care Recruitment and Retention in Saskatchewan
Project Summary
This project aims to establish and consult a team of primary care providers, patient/family partners, researchers, health policy experts, administrators and decision makers from across the province to address the current shortage of family physicians in Saskatchewan. Specifically, the team will determine how family physicians are being trained, organized and supported to work in Saskatchewan. By better understanding the factors that impact primary care physicians in establishing and maintaining careers in the province, researchers will develop a strategic plan for conducting further team-based research. The long-term goal of this program is to establish an evidence-informed strategy for primary care that aligns with the unique needs of Saskatchewan people.
Lindsey Boechler | Saskatchewan Polytechnic $10,000 Pathways to Safer Communities: Co-Creating a Crisis Preparedness Framework for Indigenous Communities
Project Summary
In a partnership between Saskatchewan Polytechnic researchers and community members from James Smith Cree Nation and La Loche, this project will entail the co-creation of a preparedness framework that addressees mass casualty incident response planning in Indigenous communities. The proposed framework will be evidence-driven, wherein collected data will measure the effects of past responses and work to identify practices to better support community leaders in the case of future community-wide incidents.
Ali Honaramooz | University of Saskatchewan Abbas Khani-Hanjani | University of Saskatchewan $10,000 Novel Solutions for Organ Shortage: Toward Generation of Pig Organs for Xenotransplantation
Project Summary
This project seeks to provide matching funding for the salary support of a postdoctoral fellow who will contribute to the ongoing work of Dr. Honaramooz in the field of xenotransplantation. This research involves the generation of transgenic pigs through the transplantation of modified stem cells. The long-term goal of this project is to build momentum in, and establish an interdisciplinary initiative for, xenotransplantation research.
Michelle Pavloff | Saskatchewan Polytechnic $9,989 Farm Reminiscing: The Experiences of Older Saskatchewan Adults Using a Telephone-Based Social Program
Project Summary
This project involves the development of a pilot program titled 'Farm Reminiscing'. Offered through the Saskatchewan Seniors Center Without Walls, this 8-week telephone program aims to increase older adult wellbeing and socialization through connection and positive memories of experiences with farming. Researchers will develop and evaluate the impact of this program with the goal of improving mental wellness among Saskatchewan older adults.
Rabia Shahid | University of Saskatchewan Shahid Ahmed | University of Saskatchewan $9,889 Patients with Diabetes and Cancer: Treatment Experience and Challenges
Project Summary
This project aims to explore the challenges and barriers faced by patients with diabetes while getting treatment for cancer. This will inform priority research areas that will improve care experiences and treatment outcomes in Saskatchewan. Researchers will identify the experiences and challenges faced by individuals with both cancer and diabetes while getting treatment for cancer, as well as those of their care teams, then use this data to identify, understand and confirm the special needs and potential research areas that benefit these patients.
2023-24 Align Grant, Child and Youth Health Recipients
Amira Abdelrasoul | University of Saskatchewan $9,990 Establishing Partnerships With Child and Youth Hemodialysis Patients in Saskatchewan Towards Improved Patient Outcomes
Project Summary
Child and youth hemodialysis patients have a higher risk of hospitalization than any other age group. In collaboration with St. Paul's Hospital, this project will use a patient-oriented research approach to understand the shortcomings and limitations of hemodialysis membranes used in the Canadian hospitals and how this contributes to patients’ quality of life and the risk of hospitalization. The findings will identify research questions and inform development of new membranes to improve outcomes for child and youth dialysis patients.
Krista Baerg | University of Saskatchewan $9,775 Addressing Treatment Variability for Pediatric Complex Regional Pain Syndrome in Canada: Preparing for National Consensus Guideline Development
Project Summary
Treatment of pediatric complex regional pain syndrome has very little research published and no clinical guidelines for pediatric management. This often results in delayed diagnosis and ineffective treatments for children. This project aims to develop guidelines that would aid physicians and other multidisciplinary healthcare providers by engaging with key stakeholders and patient and family partners to review the current state of knowledge and practice.Â
Michael Dubnewick | University of Regina $10,000 Movers for Change: Broadening Pathways for Youth Connection
Project Summary
Deficit-based narratives of Indigenous youth are often used by wellness researchers, policy makers and organizations to justify top-down approaches to community programming, where outside experts determine wellness interventions for and on communities. Using a strengths-based narrative, this project will work with Growing Young Movers (GYM), a not-for-profit wellness organization that moves towards eliminating gaps that currently exist for underserved and marginalized populations in Regina. A series of collaborative, youth-driven meetings will determine future program pathways for GYM and create research and programming spaces that place Indigenous youth at the heart of the process.
Saija Kontulainen | University of Saskatchewan $10,000
Connecting, Disseminating and Co-Designing a Tailored Exercise Intervention to Optimize Bone Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Project Summary
Building upon previous successful work, this project will further explore therapy-dog assisted physical activity interventions to support bone health in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Findings suggest that bone deficits due to low physical activity can be overcome with tailored physical activities to optimize bone development. A plan to share findings will be co-created with the broader ASD community, and involve the co-design of an intervention to engage children in bone-building physical activities tailored for children with ASD, providing evidence-based strategies for lifelong fracture prevention in this high risk population.
Joshua Lawson | University of Saskatchewan $9,993 Childhood Asthma and Mental Health
Project Summary
Childhood asthma and mental health conditions co-exist, but the relationship between these conditions is not well understood. This project aims to bring together a diverse team to investigate the association between childhood asthma and mental health, and the impact of geographic location (i.e. urban-rural) on this association. Current research evidence, practices and perspectives of different stakeholders within Saskatchewan will be reviewed to identify the current context and potential knowledge gaps that will inform the asthma management and well-being promotion of children.
Heather Szabo-Rogers | University of Saskatchewan $9,900 Personalized Medicine Team for Craniofacial and Cardiovascular Birth Defects for Saskatchewan Children and Youth
Project Summary
Major birth defects most affect the head and heart because these developing tissues are extremely sensitive to genetic changes and environmental exposures. This project will enable the formation of a multidisciplinary team for Personalized Medicine focusing on the causes of cardiovascular and craniofacial birth defects in Saskatchewan’s children. Their multidisciplinary team from the University of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Health Authority will determine the prevalence of birth defects in Saskatchewan and study how the birth defects are caused using well-established animal model systems, ultimately bridging the knowledge gap between the bench and bedside.
The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) is the provincial agency that funds, supports and promotes the impact of health research that matters to Saskatchewan. SHRF collaborates with stakeholders to contribute to the growth of a high-performing health system, culture of innovation and the improved health of citizens by strengthening research capacity and competitiveness, increasing the investment in health research in Saskatchewan and aligning research with the needs of our stakeholders. Inquiries about SHRF's Align Grant may be directed to Karen Tilsley, Director of Programs and Partnerships, at ktilsley@shrf.ca