The following was submitted by Loyalist College.
This week, the federal government announced that Loyalist College has been awarded a $2,108,000 Mobilize grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to lead transformational research in health equity. The funding will be distributed over five years to establish Loyalist’s Centre for Healthy Communities (CFHC), a new applied research centre focused on tackling urgent problems in health care, social services and community well-being.
“The CFHC is much more than a conventional research centre – it’s a dynamic, interdisciplinary entity that will adapt and evolve with the communities it serves,” says Loyalist College President and CEO Mark Kirkpatrick. “In alignment with our institutional values and commitment to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals in everything we do, the CFHC will build on Loyalist’s leadership in social innovation, sustainability and applied research. The new centre will help to mitigate poverty, support our collective health and well-being, foster quality education, and address socioeconomic and health disparities that have long-standing implications for the prosperity and cohesion of our region.”
As a “centre without walls,” the CFHC will connect not-for-profits, community services and government agencies with the knowledge and skills of Loyalist College researchers, faculty and students to support community-based research projects. The CFHC’s research and partnership activities will be embedded within the community, enabling responsiveness to local needs which are marked by the complex interconnections of health and social factors. The CFHC seamlessly integrates with Loyalist’s long-term vision to champion sustainability – encompassing ecological, human, and economic health and vitality – through applied research.
The new centre will provide Loyalist College students with unique opportunities to gain real-world experiences, working alongside potential employers and making a difference while they learn.
“Every day, our local community organizations and services grapple with inequities, labour shortages and gaps in our health-care system,” says Jeremy Laurin, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Transformation. “Unlike private enterprises, most community-based organizations lack the financial resources to invest in cutting-edge research to address these problems – that’s where Loyalist’s CFHC can step in to provide expertise, advanced equipment, funding and talent to create meaningful change.”
Learn more about applied research at Loyalist College.
