Island Health’s research grant program aims to encourage new researchers, support current research, and raise awareness about research and knowledge translation across Island Health.
Current Funding Opportunities
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Seed Grants (closed)
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These bi-annual Seed grants aim to provide Initial funding for new and developing Island Health researchers that:
- Engage health professionals in research, to support the acquisition of research experience, and to increase competitiveness for external funding opportunities;
- Support provision and delivery of care in the South Island and/or Island-Wide;
- Align with Island Health priorities and Strategic Framework; and
- Do not replicate other research being completed locally or nationally.
ELIGIBILITY
- The Lead or Co-Lead must be an Island Health employee or affiliated health professional.
- Lead or Co-lead (at least one) shall not have previously received a federal funding as a principal applicant.
HOW TO APPLY
Stay tuned for more information on the upcoming fall cycle.
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Catalyst Grants (closed)
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Catalyst grants aim to fund health research and knowledge translation projects that enable the creation and sustainability of evidence use to support Island health’s vision of “Excellent health and care for everyone, everywhere, every time” that:
- Have a tangible impact on local patient care and building local research capacity;
- Support provision and delivery of care in the South Island and/or Island-Wide;
- Align with Island Health priorities and Strategic Framework; and
- Align with the VHF Emerge Stronger campaign; and
- Do not replicate other research being completed locally or nationally.
Applicants may apply for an award amount between $10,000 and $100,000. A total of $450,000 in funding is available.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications were due January 31, 2022. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding awarded funds and future competitions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
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Here are some frequently asked questions we've heard from prospective applicants.
Eligibility
Can researchers who are not Island Health employees or affiliated health professionals act as a project lead? No, a researcher who is not an Island Health employee or affiliated health professional may only apply as co-lead with an Island Health employee or affiliated health professional co-lead.
Who is considered an affiliated health professional? An affiliated health professional is a qualified practitioner granted privileges to practice within their scope in the facilities and programs operated by Island Health.
Budgets and Finance
Do the awarded funds have to stay within Island Health?
No, funds may be transferred to another institution if required to support project activities.
Application
Do we require letters of support?
A letter of support from Island Health director-level or above is required for the Catalyst competition to ensure successful applicants have the approval and oversight necessary to conduct their research project in alignment with Island Health priorities. Letters of support are not required for the Seed competition.
Is there a character or word limit?
Free text answers have a word limit, which are referenced in the online application form and in this worksheet (updated January 25, 2022).
Other
Do you have a list of previously successful Catalyst grants?
Island Health Research has run internal grant competitions (including Seed and Catalyst) since 2013. While the aims of these grants remain similar, the 2022 Seed and Catalyst have new objectives, applications and evaluation criteria. Past awards can be viewed here.
Do you have a mechanism for feedback?
Yes, we have just closed the first round and are eager to improve our processes as we look forward to subsequent cycles. Please share your feedback in this survey. Your input will enable us to learn from your experiences and strengthen our overall program. We aim to incorporate feedback where feasible and will post any changes on our website.
Past Awards
Congratulations to the past winners of our internal granting competitions!
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Evidence-into-Practice Awards
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2020-2021
Gold Award-Winner
Brenda Beath, Nurse Specialized in Wound, Ostomy, Continence - "Preventing diabetic foot amputations through total contact casting in Nanaimo, BC"
Silver Award-Winner
Dr. Paul Winston, Medical Director of Rehabilitation and Transitions - “Ultrasound Guided Diagnostic Nerve Blocks: Uniting and Revolutionizing the global landscape for spasticity management"
Bronze Award-Winner
Karen Baker, Occupational Therapist, Outpatient Neurorehabilitation; Emily Becker, Recreation Therapist, Outpatient Neurorehabilitation; Shannon Ellis, Occupational Therapist, Outpatient Neurorehabilitation - "Mindful sensory regulation in neuro rehabilitation"
2019-2020
Gold Award-Winner
Dr. Paul Winston, Medical Director of Rehabilitation and Transitions - “Rapid Triage and Diagnosis of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome I and II; Halting Long Term Disability"
Silver Award-Winner
Dr. Sean Spina, Principal Investigator – ATHOME; HaH Clinical Subject Matter Expert; Dr. Elisabeth Crisci, Hospitalist, Medical Co-Lead with Hospital at Home; Dr. Shauna Tierney, Hospitalist, Medical Co-Lead with Hospital at Home- “Hospital at Home”
Bronze Award-Winner
Dr. Duncan Jacks, Orthopedic Surgeon; Dr. Jacques Smit, Anesthesiologist, – “The Victoria Enhanced Recovery Arthroplasty Program (VERA)”
2018-2019
Gold Award-Winner
Donna Jouan-Tapp, Manager, Duncan Community Health Services – “Defining Nursing Capacity in Community Care”
Silver Award-Winner
Sean Spina, Clinical Coordinator, Pharmacy - “Investigation into the Cleaning Methods of Smartphones and Wearables from Infectious Contamination in a Patient Care Environment (I-SWIPE)”
Bronze Award-Winner
Jennifer Spiers, Manager, Cowichan Home Support & Waldon House ADP – “Quick Updating Information Procedure Sessions (QUIPS)”
2017-2018
Gold Award-Winner
David Huntley, Manager, Surgical Services/Rehab/CY&F, Cowichan District Hospital – “Surgical Services Efficiencies and Waitlist Management Strategies”
Silver Award-Winner
Dr. Paul Winston, Medical Director of Rehabilitation and Transitions - “Using evidence to build a world-leading hub for the management of spasticity.” Using Evidence to Build a World-Leading Hub for the Management of Spasticity.”
Bronze Award-Winner
Norman Carter-Sim, Clinical Nurse Educator – “A-STaT Acuity Statistics Tracking and Trending”
2016-2017
Gold Award-Winner
Grant Hoffert, (RN, BSN), Victoria Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic
"Reducing Patient Wait Times and Clinic Length through Care Delivery Modification"
Silver Award-Winner
Rachel Edey, (BScPharm, ACPR), Internal Medicine Pharmacist, NRGH
"I DROP IT: Impact of Deprescribing Rounds on Outpatient Prescriptions: an Interventional Trial"
Bronze Award-Winner
James Watson, Manager, Surgical Quality, Surgical Services
"Improving Perioperative Temperature Management"
People's Choice Award for Best Poster
Rachel Edey
2014-2015
No competition
2013-2014
Dan Martinusen, Nephrology Clinical Pharmacy Specialist — “Implementation of an Anemia Management Algorithm
Jody Pickard and Chris Goble, Clinical Educators, MHSU Practice Resource team — “Mental Health and Substance Use Feedback Informed Treatment (FIT)”
Dr. Imad Nadra, Consultant in Interventional Cardiology at Westheart Cardiology & Royal Jubilee Hospital — "Preventing Radial Occlusion Through More Effective Closure Techniques and Advanced Radial Management Study (PROTECT ARMS)"
Jason Craig, Resource Physiotherapist, School Age Program at Queen Alexandra Center for Children’s Health — “Community Falls Risk Assessment for School Aged Children”
Dr. Helen Campbell, Division Head, Collaborative Care, Mental Health and Substance Use — “Cognitive Behavioural Interpersonal Skills Training Manual: Mental Health Education, training, and tools to improve care and change attitudes”
Dr. Sean Spina (Clinical Coordinator, Pharmacy) and Sherry Lalli (Operations Coordinator, Pharmacy) — “Pharmacy Practice Model Redesign at a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital”
Sandie Somers, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Seniors and Spiritual Health —“Grief, Loss and Dementia: An Education Program for Family Caregivers of Persons with Dementia”
Pauline Melanson, Manager for Chronic Disease Management, Nutrition Therapy Services — “In-Patient Diabetes Nurse Educator Quality Improvement Initiative”
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Seed Grants
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2016-2017
Dr. Ramm Hering, Addictions Medicine Physician and Karen Urbanoski, Scientist, Centre for Addictions Research of BC — “Evaluation of an Inpatient Addictions Medicine Consult Service in Island Health”
Carolyn Maze, Nurse, Victoria Hospice, Carolyn Wilkinson, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Victoria Hospice, and Dr. Kelli Stajduhar, Professor, UVic School of Nursing — “Improving End of Life Care: Bereaved Family Members' Perceptions of Nursing Care at End of Life”
Dr. Rosanne Beuthin, Consultant, Medical Assistance in Dying, End of Life Care, Dr. Anne Bruce, Professor, UVic School of Nursing, and Dr. Margaret Scaia, Assistant Teaching Professor, School of Nursing — “Nurses’ Experiences with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)”
2015-2016
Dr. Paul Novak, Victoria Cardiac Arrhythmia Trials — "Randomized prospective trial comparing contact force and non-contact force guided catheter ablation for cavotricuspid isthmus dependent atrial flutter"
Grant Hoffert, Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic — "Improving anxiety and depression in the Cystic Fibrosis population using Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and virtual meeting"
Dr. Christine Lee, Infection Prevention & Control— "Understanding the epidemiology of Healthcare-Associated versus Community-Associated Clostridium difficile Infection"
Yajai Apibunyopas Emergency Ultrasound Fellow, NRGH — "Protocol for Carotid VTI and Carotid Flow Time as the Predictor of Volume Responsiveness in Patients undergoing fluid resuscitation in the Emergency Department"
Caelin Rose, Victoria Hospice — "Music Therapy for Seniors at End-of-Life: Feasibility Study"
2014-2015
James Morrell, Chronic Disease Management & Nutrition Therapy Services — “The delay in starting insulin for patients with Type 2 diabetes: Identification and understanding of the clinical care gap from patients’ perspectives”
Heather Tant, Chronic Disease Management & Nutrition Therapy Services —“Transition care for youth with diabetes: effects on diabetes outcomes”
Dillon Chrimes, IM/IT — “Influences of configurations of distributed file-system and large-scale processing in a big data platform on queries of emulated patient data”
Dr. Anita Vallee, Public Health (Dental) — “Peer-led Oral Health Education for Elementary School-age Children”
Dr. Adriana Condello, Pediatrics — “Mental Health Services for Children and Youth in Victoria: Patterns of Use”
2013-2014
Dr. Michelle Van Den Engh-Cook, Psychiatry — “The Role of Clinical Supervision in Nurturing Medical Trainee Resilience”
Gurprit Randhawa, Primary Care, Chronic Disease, and Rural Health Services — “A Knowledge Translation Project on Benchmark End-of-Life Care Practices for the Elderly in Primary Care”
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Catalyst Grants
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2015-2016
Mélie De Champlain, Director, Transition Planning, Community Integration, Population & Community Health, with Elaine Gallagher and Debra Sheets (University of Victoria, School of Nursing): “Comparison of the Implementation and Outcomes of the Collective Impact Framework Initiatives in Saanich and the Cowichan Valley for Seniors with Complex Chronic Diseases and Frailty (Phase 2)”
Melanie Rusch, Manager, Population Health & Epidemiology, Planning and Community Engagement (PACE), with Ziba Vaghri (University of Victoria): “Promoting children's development and well-being through facilitation of the implementation and monitoring of the Convention on the Rights of the Child”
2014-2015
Caelin Rose, Victoria Hospice, “Music Therapy for Seniors at End-of-Life: Strengthening the Evidence Base”
2013-2014
Dr. Abraham (Rami) Rudnick, Psychiatry, “Integrating supported employment with supported postsecondary education for people with mental illness: a research collaboration for a multi-site randomized controlled trial”
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Research Support Grants
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2016-2017
Dr. Jonathan Down (Developmental Pediatrician, Island Health) with Lenora Marcellus (UVic Nursing), “Does receiving a diagnosis of FASD improve quality of life for women who are pregnant or new parents?”
Dr. Nichole Fairbrother, “New mothers' thoughts of harm: Prevalence and relation to OCD and child harm”
Dr. Christine Lee (Medical Microbiologist and Researcher, Island Health) with Caylee Raber (Emily Carr Health Design Lab), “Optimizing microbiology test utilization and development of microbiology laboratory stewardship program
2015-2016
Mélie De Champlain, Director, Transition Planning, Community Integration, Population & Community Health: “Developmental Evaluation of the Implementation and Impact of the EPIC (Eldercare Project In Cowichan) Model for Seniors with Complex Chronic Diseases and Frailty (Phase 1)”
Constance Haselden, Manager, Child, Youth and Family (South Island): “Understanding the evolution of expectant and new parents' beliefs and behaviours about pediatric vaccination in British Columbia"
Dr. Ramm Hering, Addiction Medicine Physician, with Karen Urbanoski and Scott MacDonald (Centre for Addictions Research of BC; University of Victoria): “Compulsory Addiction Treatment: Toward Evidence-Based Policy and Practice”
Dr. Leah MacDonald, Medical Director, End-of-Life, with Kelli Stajduhar and Denise Cloutier Fisher (University of Victoria, School of Nursing): “Evaluation of an Innovative Approach to Improving End-Of-Life Outcomes In Residential Care Facilities”
Dr. Andrew Penn, Medical Lead, Stroke Rapid Assessment Unit, Island Health; Principal Investigator, SpecTRA Project, with Dr. Michael Marnane (UBC); Scott Hofer and Christoph Borchers (University of Victoria): “Defining the Etiology and Prevalence of Cognitive impairment in TIA and minor Stroke (DEPiCTS)”
2014-2015
Carrie Barker (Esther Pace), Youth & Family Substance Use Services: “Becoming and Belonging: Creating Community for Youth Suffering from Mental Health Issues”
Cheryl Beach, Continuing Health Services: “Modeling Changes in Mobility, Cognition and Daily Activities to Predict Care Needs in Community Dwelling Older Adults Living with Cognitive Impairment”
Dr. Laurence Bosley, Psychiatry: “Improving Island Health Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Services”
Dr. Nichole Fairbrother, Psychiatry: “The Validity of the Childbirth Fear Questionnaire as a Screening Tool for Specific Phobia of Childbirth”
2013-2014
Dr. Abraham (Rami) Rudnick, Psychiatry, “Integrating supported employment with supported postsecondary education for people with mental illness: an exploratory randomized controlled study”
Colleen Butcher, Seniors Health, “Translating Evidence to Practice to Improve Hospital Care for People with Dementia”
Cheryl Beach, Continuing Health Services, “Technology Supports for Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Dementia and Family Caregivers”
Dr. Donna Buna, Pharmacy, “Evaluating the Impact of a Breakthrough Pain Action Plan on the Use of Breakthrough Medications in Chronic Non-Cancer Pain”
Stephanie McCune, “Collaborating with Carers: Increasing Capacity to Engage and Support Parents and Carers in Island Health, MHSU”
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Collaborative Grants
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2016-2017
Dr. Rosanne Beuthin (Consultant, Medical Assistance in Dying, Island Health) with Anne Bruce (UVic Nursing), “Physicians’ Experience with Medical Assistance in Dying”
Dr. Nichole Fairbrother with Dr. Patricia Janssen (UBC) “Online cognitive behaviour therapy for postpartum obsessive compulsive disorder”
Dr. Dee Hoyano (Medical Health Officer, Island Health) with Nathan Lachowsky (UVic School of Public Health and Social Policy), “Improving HIV and STI Prevention and Health Services for Gay and Bisexual Men within Island Health”
Sue Kurucz (Manager, Integrated Community Services, Island Health) with Andre Smith (UVic Sociology), “Optimizing antipsychotic use in residential care: The role of organizational readiness for change”
Dr. Alison Walzak (Physician, Internal Medicine, Island Health) with Olav Krigolson (UVic School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education) and Bruce Wright, “Electroencephalographic Assessment of Clinician Fatigue”
2015-2016
Dr. Davide Salina (Laboratory Services) and Julian Lum (BC Cancer), "Defining immune signatures in genitourinary cancers and their association with outcome."
Dr. Christine Lee (Infection Prevention and Control) and Farouk Nathoo (UVic), "Prospective, open-label trial to evaluate efficacy of lyophilized fecal microbiota transplantation for treatment of recurrent C. difficile infection."
Grant Hoffert (Adult Cystic Fibrosis Clinic) and Ryan Rhodes (UVic), "Increasing adherence to physical activity prescription among cystic fibrosis patients: A feasibility study."
Darin Abbey (Centre for Interprofessional Clinical Simulation Learning) and Maureen Ryan (UVic), "Simulation Educator Pathway Program Collaborative Research Project."
2014-2015
(first year of competition)
Sue Kurucz (Manager, Residential Care, Chemainus Health Care Centre), Anne Dawkes (Clinical Nurse Leader, Residential Care, Chemainus Health Care Centre), and Andre Smith (Sociology, University of Victoria) for “Optimizing antipsychotic use for persons with dementia in residential care: A focus on care planning and family involvement”
Helena Daudt (Director, Education and Research, Victoria Hospice) and Anne Bruce (School of Nursing, University of Victoria) for “Dinner and Stories: Sharing Experiences of End-of-Life Care”
Dr. Kennard Tan (Medical Microbiologist & Physician Lead for IHealth Data Analytics) and Alex Kuo (Health Information Sciences, University of Victoria) for “Design and Implementation of a Big Data Analytics Framework for Health Applications”
Devin Lynn (Manager, Adult Mental Health & Substance Use) and Bernie Pauly (School of Nursing, University of Victoria) for “Working Together: Evaluating an Integrated Model of Care for People Experiencing Homelessness and Substance Use Problems”
Dr. Caroline Quartly (Physiatrist, Queen Alexandra Orthotics, Prosthetics and Seating) and Paul Zehr (Centre for Biomedical Research, University of Victoria) for “Bridging the gap between isolated limb movement and whole body locomotor retraining after stroke”
Dr. Paul Hasselback (Medical Health Officer, Central Island) and Ali Dastmalchian (School of Business, University of Victoria) for “Developing Human Resource Climates in Health Organizations: Examining their Workplace Dynamics and Impacts Using Case Research”
Dr. Richard Stanwick (Chief Medical Health Officer) and Bonnie Leadbeater (Psychology, University of Victoria) for “Foundations for health and healthy lifestyles: a report on the health and well-being of youth transitioning from adolescence to young adulthood in British Columbia”
Carolyn Wilkinson (Clinical Nurse Specialist, Victoria Hospice) and Carol McDonald (School of Nursing, University of Victoria) for “Exploring high mortality cancer patients and family caregivers transitions from diagnosis to end of life: Implications for quality of life”