As part of our commitment to building relationships between patients, researchers, healthcare providers, decision-makers and other partners, we provide awards to teams conducting patient-oriented research in the Island Health region.
- 2025 POR Graduate Fellowships (Open)
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Patient-Oriented Research (POR) is research that is done in partnership with patients, answers research questions that matter to patients, and aims to improve health outcomes and experiences. The term "patient" is defined broadly to include anyone with lived experience of a health condition, including informal caregivers, family, and friends.
The objectives of this funding are to:
- Develop capacity through collaboration between research partners (e.g. patient partners, students, supervisors, clinicians, community members, and health system decision-makers);
- Create opportunities for research partners to work together, from conceptualization of the research question through to dissemination and implementation of results;
- Provide students with training and support in the principles and practices of POR;
- Demonstrate the impact of the Fellowship for recipients and patients; and
- Encourage recipients to use POR approaches in the future.
Funding Available
Total funding envelope:
- $60,000
- An additional $15,000 is available to support research that focuses on dementia care in the Comox Valley. This opportunity is sponsored by the Comox Valley Community Foundation, which made a generous contribution from the Robert and Florence Filberg Fund, held by the Vancouver Foundation and facilitated by the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation.
Individual Awards:
- Master’s students: up to $10,000
- PhD students: up to $15,000
Eligibility
- POR Graduate Fellowships are intended for students enrolled in a full-time Masters or PhD program at a post-secondary institution in British Columbia at the time of application.
- Students must be interested in and committed to undertake Patient-Oriented Research that aligns with the needs of the health system.
- Please see the guidelines for full details.
Timeline
POR Graduate Fellowship Informational Webinars October 3, 2025 (2:00-3:00pm) - Register
October 6, 2025 (10:30-11:30am) - RegisterDeadline for application submission November 5, 2025, 4:00pm Anticipated notification of results December 17, 2025 Anticipated start of funding January 23, 2026 End of funding July 31, 2026 How to Apply
- See the application form and guidelines.
Questions
- Please register for an information webinar (links above), and reach out to researchfacilitation@islandhealth.ca with any questions or concerns.
- 2025 POR Team Assist Awards (Open)
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The Patient-Oriented Research (POR) Team Assist Awards are designed to bring people together to co-develop research projects that matter to patients and support improvements across the health system. Funding for the Team Assist Awards is provided by the BC SUPPORT Unit.
These awards aim to:
- reduce barriers to meaningful engagement;
- strengthen future POR proposals; and
- ensure that patient voices shape the research process from the start.
By fostering collaboration across disciplines and centering patient priorities, the Team Assist Awards support more inclusive, impactful research across the Island Health region.
Priority Projects
- Priority will be given to projects aligned with Island Health’s strategic priorities such as improving access to care, addressing Indigenous-specific racism, and promoting wellness across the region.
Eligibility
- Teams must include people with lived experience AND include (or plan to engage with) Island Health clinicians or decision-makers.
- Projects must address patient-identified priorities.
- Projects must not already have received funding from another source.
Eligible Costs
- Eligible expenses include honoraria for patient partners, refreshments or space rentals for engagement events.
Timeline
- Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from August 2025 to February 2026, with monthly review of submitted applications.
How to Apply
- Read the full guidelines and application instructions.
- View the online application form.
Questions
- Applicants are encouraged to connect early: email researchfacilitation@islandhealth.ca to discuss ideas and access free research navigation, patient engagement, and knowledge translation services.
- 2024 Comox Valley Dementia Care Competitions (Closed)
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This call for applications developed out of a research priority-setting workshop held in Comox in September 2023. The workshop brought people together to identify the community’s top priorities around aging well, dementia, and long-term care. Those priorities are:
- Staying at Home Longer
- Caregiver Supports and Respite
- Dementia-Friendly Communities
- Navigating Supports
Objectives
These competitions seek to:
- support teams in the Comox Valley who are piloting dementia care POR projects aligned with a research priority area (projects may also impact the larger Island Health region).
- provide students with training and support in the principles and practice of patient-oriented research, create opportunities for collaboration, and build capacity.
Awards
- Pilot Grants (1 year) – a total of $60,000 is available to support projects in priority areas, to a maximum of $30,000 per project.
- Fellowships (1 year) – a total of $50,000 is available to support full-time undergraduate and/or Masters’ students at up to $10,000 and PhD students at up to $15,000.
Funding for these competitions has been sponsored by the Comox Valley Community Foundation, who made a generous contribution from the Robert and Florence Filberg Fund, held at the Vancouver Foundation, and facilitated by the Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation.
Eligibility
Pilot Grants:
- The Lead Applicant must be a researcher, clinician, allied health professional, or healthcare decision maker whose host-institution is located in the Island Health region and eligible to hold funding. If the Lead Applicant is from another organization or health region, an Island Health employee or affiliated health professional must be co-lead.
- The research team must include at least one member from each of the following groups: patient partners (people with lived experience of dementia), researchers, healthcare professionals or clinicians, and healthcare decision-makers.
Fellowships:
- Applicants must be enrolled in, or accepted to, an undergraduate or graduate program at a Vancouver Island postsecondary institution by the award date (August 1, 2024) and must be undertaking or planning to undertake dementia care-related undergraduate or graduate research.
- Applicants must be enrolled as full-time students.
Timeline
Application Deadline Monday, May 27, 2024 at 4 p.m. Application Review May - July, 2024 Notification of Results July 15, 2024 Award Start-date August 1, 2024 Award End-date August 1, 2025 Guidelines
Application Forms
- 2021-2022 Graduate Student POR Fellows (Closed)
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The Island Centre’s Graduate Fellowships provide students with training and support in the principles and practice of patient-oriented research, create opportunities for collaboration, and build capacity for patient-oriented research. 14 Graduate POR Fellows were funded.