The Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF) is funding over $89,000 and 9 research projects in research alignment activities in Saskatchewan through the SHRF 2024-25 Align Grant Call #1.
Connections Program
The Connections Program supports activities in Saskatchewan that reach outside of academic settings. Funded activities promote knowledge exchange and alignment of health research across the province, addressing the gap between knowledge generation and knowledge integration.
The Connections Program supports short-term, focused research activities, and we encourage applications that involve community organizations and non-profits.
Align Grant
The Align Grant was first established in 2022 with the goal of providing funding to enable:
The development and engagement of strong research teams from different fields or disciplines.
To support activities that ensure research aligns with the needs and realities of Saskatchewan.
The Align Grant includes several calls each fiscal year, allowing researchers to coordinate their existing and/or upcoming initiatives with these targeted opportunities. This Grant has been shown to increase the quality and success of Saskatchewan applications to peer-reviewed funding competitions.
Align Grant Recipients
Congenital Anomaly Database for Saskatchewan (CASK)
Timothy Bradley, University of Saskatchewan
$10,000
Project Summary
"Birth defects, also known as congenital anomalies, are a major cause of infant deaths in Saskatchewan. Currently, healthcare providers in Saskatchewan use many different paper records to collect information on mothers and babies. This makes it hard for providers to share information with one another. If a mother or baby needs to travel, their health information can be incomplete or lost.
The goal of this team is to create standardized electronic health records for mothers and babies that can be easily and securely accessed by both patients and providers across the province, involving people from diverse backgrounds to ensure the collected data is useful and accurate.
The Maternal Database for Saskatchewan (Mat-SK) for mothers and the Congenital Anomalies Database for Saskatchewan (CASK) for babies with birth defects will benefit both research and practice."
Assessing Oral Health Needs of International Students at University of Saskatchewan
Amrinderbir Singh, University of Saskatchewan
Jessica Lieffers, University of Saskatchewan
$10,000
Project Summary
This project aims to understand and tackle the unique challenges that international students face in maintaining good oral health and proper nutrition. Knowing that these students often deal with changes in their diet, cultural adjustments, and limited access to familiar healthcare services, the project focuses on identifying specific problems and gaps in their knowledge. The team will learn about and assess the self-reported oral health needs of international students at the University of Saskatchewan. The results will help us create targeted solutions to address their specific needs and concerns, promoting a healthier and better-informed international student community.
Idea and Action Mapping with Stakeholders to Improve the Food Environment in Saskatchewan Public Recreation Facilities
Hassanali Vatanparast, University of Saskatchewan
Stacey Wiens, Saskatchewan Health Authority
Tim Hanna, Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association
$9,992
Project Summary
The goal of this project is to share research about the views and attitudes of both patrons and providers regarding the food and drinks offered and promoted in Saskatchewan public recreational facilities. Although recreational settings are known for promoting health, concerns arise due to the availability of unhealthy foods and beverages in these settings. Our previous Saskatchewan-focused research determined public recreation facility leaders and food providers are receptive to healthy change, and patrons would be like to see this change happen.
A workshop will be held with various stakeholders, including facility management teams, food providers, facility patrons, researchers, and members of the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association, to work together to find effective ways to improve the food environments in these facilities. By doing this, we hope to find effective and realistic solutions to create healthier food environments in Saskatchewan’s public recreational facilities.
Toward a Patient Medical Home Model of Care: a Study of the Role of Nurses Haizhen Mou, University of Saskatchewan
$10,000
Project Summary
Like the rest of Canada, Saskatchewan's primary health care, especially in rural areas, is facing a crisis due to a shortage of physicians and increasingly complex healthcare demand. The current model of care, where doctors work alone in private practice, is becoming less sustainable.
In response, team-based care is emerging as a promising solution. The Patient Medical Home (PMH) model, where family physicians lead a team of health care professionals to provide coordinated and holistic care to a group of patients, in particular is gaining support. For example, the Associate Family Physicians Clinic in Swift Current has switched to the PMH model. This change is part of a pilot project supported by the Saskatchewan Health Authority to transform private practice clinics into PMHs. The research team will evaluate the pilot project at Associate Family Physicians, focusing on how nurses are integrated into the team. This will contribute to establishing an evidence-informed evaluation framework for integrating health professionals into team-based care.
Exploring the social acceptability of wastewater-based health surveillance
Nicole Hansmeier, University of Regina
Akram Khayatzadeh Mahani, University of Regina
Colleen Strauch, University of Regina
Tzu-Chiao Chao, University of Regina
Jacob Alhassan, University of Saskatchewan
Cassandra Opikokew Wajuntah, University of Saskatchewan
$10,000
Project Summary
Wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) is the process of monitoring microbes and chemicals in human waste. This method has become very important and cost-effective for public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. WBS has shown great potential for tracking public health issues like infectious diseases and drug use patterns efficiently and at a low cost.
However, while WBS can greatly improve public health, it also comes with ethical concerns. There is a significant risk that the data collected could unintentionally stigmatize communities or be misused for reasons other than improving public health. To address these concerns, our project will involve various community members and public health partners in Saskatchewan. The insights from discussions will be compiled into a policy brief and shared with provincial and federal public health partners. This will be a first step towards implementing WBS in Canada in a fair and ethical manner.
Patient Experiences of Having Gender Surgery in Saskatchewan
Gaurav Jain, University of Saskatchewan
$9,990
Project Summary
Transgender and gender-diverse individuals (TGDI) face many obstacles and delays in getting fair, safe, and gender-affirming healthcare. This includes being called by the wrong name or pronoun, discomfort from healthcare providers, and outright discrimination or mistreatment. Shockingly, one in five TGDI reports having a negative experience with healthcare staff. Our study aims to find practical ways to improve the experiences of TGDI in Saskatchewan who seek gender-affirming surgeries.
Our goals are to 1) understand and describe the experiences of TGDI seeking gender-affirming surgery, from their first visit with a healthcare provider to their recovery after surgery; 2) identify the specific needs of TGDI around the time of surgery; and 3) find specific initiatives that can be implemented in the Saskatchewan healthcare system to support gender-affirming surgery.
Development of novel lung models for combating lung diseases
Daniel Chen, University of Saskatchewan
Neeraj Dhar, University of Saskatchewan
$10,000
Project Summary
Lung diseases continue to be a pressing health issue, as highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Doctors and researchers all around the world have been working tirelessly to find ways to diagnose, treat, and protect against these diseases. Currently, most research uses culture dishes or animals for experiments, but these methods have their limits because they are not exact models of human lungs. New models that mimic human lungs outside the body (in vitro) would help research to better understand lung diseases and create new drugs and vaccines. The main goal of this project is to start a research partnership focused on developing new in vitro lung model using tissue engineering. By better mimicking the lungs’ 3D architecture and cell make-up, this could offer a more realistic environment for understanding lung diseases and treatment options.
Promoting Interpersonal Coordination and Alignment for Self and Society (PICASSO): Development of a Transdisciplinary Research Cluster
Jorden Cummings, University of Saskatchewan
$9,960
Project Summary
Interpersonal coordination is a key part of almost every social experience or activity that humans take part in. Knowing how, when, and why we coordinate with each other, and understanding the benefits, is becoming more important than ever. In 2018, SSHRC and Policy Horizons Canada highlighted ""The Emerging Asocial Society"" as one of 16 future global challenges. This issue arises from trends like more people living alone, working remotely, and using personalized technology, which reduce our chances to connect with others. The negative effects could include health problems, feeling disconnected from our communities, and an increase in antisocial behavior.
This research team proposed to tackle this unique challenge through a collaborative effort including experts in cognitive neuroscience, theatre, dance, psychotherapy, trauma, parenting, cardiovascular health, and pain. Each team member's work focuses on positive interpersonal coordination that can lead to social benefits. By bringing together these diverse scholars, the team aims to foster cross-disciplinary research projects.
Engaging Indigenous Communities in Cognitive Remediation Group Therapy
Andrew Eaton, University of Regina
$10,000
Project Summary
The goal of this research is to involve First Nations and Métis Elders and Knowledge Keepers in Saskatchewan in the development of a tailored Cognitive Remediation Group Therapy (CRGT). CRGT is a type of psychological care meant for people living with HIV who have cognitive health issues. The team will work with First Nations and Métis groups in Saskatchewan to adapt, test, and use CRGT in community health settings.
As the HIV epidemic reaches its fifth decade, focusing on aging with HIV has become important. Cognitive problems are common among older adults with HIV and psychosocial support is needed to help reduce the stress, anxiety, and poor coping that come with chronic health issues, but there are few therapies focused on cognition for people aging with HIV. Using the Two-Eyed Seeing approach, which combines Western and Indigenous knowledge, this research aims to make CRGT more culturally relevant for First Nations and Métis Peoples living with HIV in Saskatchewan.
Comments