Digital Health Research Seminar Series

On behalf of the joint organizing committee from the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute (BCCHR) and Women's Health Research Institute (WHRI) we want to thank you for attending a Digital Health Research Seminar over the past year! 

To access recordings of previous session go to: https://whri.org/our-services/digital-health-hub/digital-health-learning-corner/​ 

As we take a break for the summer we are delighted to invite you to give your opinion on Open Data at BCCHR/WHRI in partnership with the Centre for International Child Health. This information will be used to help design a workshop in the topic in the coming academic year.

Stay tuned for the fall seminar series starting in September. Happy summer all!

Advancing principles of Open Data and stewardship of data in clinical research

Momentum for open access to research is growing. Funding agencies and publishers are increasingly requiring researchers make their data and research outputs open and publicly available. However, this introduces many challenges, especially when managing potentially sensitive clinical data.

Investigators at BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital’s and Research Institutes and the Centre for International Child Health (CICH) are developing much-needed training resources to keep our research community at the forefront of the Open Science movement. First, we need community input about current Open Data practices.

We invite investigators, health professionals, staff, and trainees who manage women’s or children’s clinical trial data to complete our survey: Advancing principles of Open Data and stewardship of data in clinical research.

The survey takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete and will be open until July 31st, 2022.

This initiative is supported in part by funding from the Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Data Champions Pilot Project.

Survey URL: https://rc.bcchr.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=TFCKCHLA79RWAMNC

Funding Updates

WOMEN’S HEALTH RESEARCH FUNDING NEWS

• CIHR Project Grant Fall 2022 applications are being accepted. Priority Announcements for ECRs in Women’s Health Research, ect. Registration: 8/17, Application: 9/14
• CIHR Peer Review Committee Mandates updated, recommend to read before submitting registrations to PRCs

UPCOMING WOMEN’S HEALTH FUNDING: July & August

• 7/27 (Full): CIHR—Planning and Dissemination Grants
• 7/28 (Full): Indigenous Strategic Initiatives (ISI) Fund, Special Fund for Graduate Research
• 7/29 (Full): Pfizer—Knowledge Gaps in Treatment of Acute COVID-19 and Management of Post-COVID Conditions in Outpatient Settings
• 7/29 (Full): Canada Research Chair—Robbins-Ollivier Award for Excellence in Equity
• 8/01 (Full): SSHRC—Connection Grant
• 8/01 (NOI); 11/01 (Full): NSERC—Discovery Grant
• 8/5 (Full): IDRC—Strengthening the Capacities of Science Granting Councils in Gender and Inclusion
• 8/11 (Full): IDRC—Organizations (Hubs) Managing Regional Innovation Networks for Responsible Artificial Intelligence to Improve Sexual, Reproductive and Maternal Health (SRMH) Outcomes
• 8/17 (Reg); 9/14 (Full): CIHR—Project Grant Fall 2022
• 8/17 (Reg); 9/14 (Full): CIHR—Project Grant : Fall 2022 Priority Announcement (Specific Research Areas)
• 8/30 (Full): CIHR—Support Grant for Community-Led Projects on LGBTQIA/2S Wellness through an Intersectional Lens
• 8/31 (Full): IDRC—International Doctoral Research Awards

Need Assistance with research development, need a review for your proposal, or looking for Upcoming Funding Opportunities?  Check out the WHRI Research Funding Hub , Upcoming Funding Opportunities, and #WHRIfunding Twitter Feed. Email Eric Lussier for assistance with developing a research idea, finding funding, grants applications or grants revisions. I am available every Tuesday from 8am-4pm for virtual office hour meetings with WHRI researchers, or at other times by appointment.

Sue Harris Family Practice Research Grant Call for Applications

Deadline: August 24, 2022

The Sue Harris Family Practice Research Grant supports research that contributes to women's (cis and trans included) health within the discipline of family practice. The funding supports new researchers (family practice residents and/or practitioners) to develop and carry out a pilot or simple research project. The application process is aligned with the resident scholarship project and mentorship is available. Grant amounts are $5,000 for family practitioners and $2,500 for FP residents.

For eligibility and application details, please visit: https://whri.org/our-services/sue-harris-grant/

Sue Harris Knowledge Dissemination Grant

This competitive grant awards up to $2,500 to support the publication of family practice research in women’s health.  This grant includes assistance from the Women’s Health Research Institute in the preparation and submission of a manuscript for publication.

Eligibility: a family practitioner who is a new researcher and resides in BC or a former SHFP Research Grant winner

No Application deadline.

The call for applications can be found here: https://whri.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Sue-Harris_Knowledge-Dissemination-Grant_Call-for-applications.pdf

For more information: https://whri.org/funding-opportunities/

Strengthening Mothers Through Perinatal Research Award

A $1,500 award is offered annually by Beverley O’Brien for graduate students pursuing research into woman-centered, holistic and physiologic maternity care. Beverley O’Brien is a UBC Nursing alumna, Professor Emerita in the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Nursing, and a Registered Midwife.

This year’s application deadline is August 15.

Graduate students who are registered in any UBC master’s or doctoral graduate program are eligible to apply for this Graduate Student award. There is a strong preference for this award to go to a midwife or nurse. The focus of the graduate work must be on strengthening mothers through the development of research evidence. All applicants must be in good academic standing with the University, and must be making satisfactory progress towards their degree as defined by the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.

For more information and the application process see: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/strengthening-mothers-through-perinatal-research-award

Support for Ukrainian Students
and Scholars at Risk

The Tri-Agencies (Canadian federal government research funding agencies) recently announced an initiative to encourage eligible grant holders to fund graduate students or eligible postdoctoral scholars whose work has been interrupted by the war in Ukraine, and who are currently in Canada or assuming residence in Canada, via the Special Response Fund for Trainees (Ukraine). All three agencies (SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC) are participating in this program. The program provides for grant holders to be reimbursed by the agency for funds they spend on eligible stipends and salaries.

Over 300 UBC researchers have expressed interest in hiring a Ukrainian trainee. They have now launched a form for students and scholars displaced from Ukraine who are interested in being hired at UBC to complete. More information and the Qualtrics form link can be found here. Please feel welcome to distribute widely!

UBC asks that interested eligible trainees complete the form by July 31, so that they may move quickly with our team to an initial round of locating promising matches between trainees and Tri-Council grant projects.

Are you a student or trainee?

We've launched a spotlight series on the Women's Health Research Institute LinkedIn page, and we'd love to feature you! 

If you're interested, please reach out to whri.communications@cw.bc.ca.

Let's Talk Menopause and Uterine Cancer

VCH researchers are conducting a study to explore lived experiences during reproductive aging. During the years leading up to menopause, women often experience menstrual cycle and flow changes. This is a common experience in perimenopause; however, the same changes may also be the first symptom of uterine cancer. Cancer of the lining of the uterus is the most common gynecological cancer in Canada and the developed world. Few women are aware of the risk factors for uterine cancer. Understanding what patterns of abnormal bleeding are associated with uterine cancer and predicting cancer risk is a top priority for both women and healthcare providers. If detected early, uterine cancer is curable or has many years without risk of recurrence.

This research study explores experiences in the years leading up to, during perimenopause, and in the menopause years. We believe that women recording flow patterns using digital tools, will help us better understand abnormal bleeding patterns associated with uterine cancer, enhance healthcare during reproductive aging, and intervene to reduce the risk of uterine cancer.

If you are interested in sharing your experiences, are over the age of 40, have not had a hysterectomy (except due to a uterine cancer diagnosis), and can speak and understand English on your own, you may be eligible to participate in a 30-minute to one-hour long interview. More information is available at https://redcap.link/SpotTheDifference.