REPORTS FROM LEARNERS

Jean Thompson, PCHR Community Learner, attended the NW Health Foundation Conference in Portland, Oregon, July 19-20, 2007. Please click here to read her report.

Juan Solorzano, PCHR Community Learner, attended a Professional Grant Proposal Writing Workshop in Seattle, WA, June 18-20, 2007. Please click here to read his report.

Jennifer Terpstra, PCHR Academic Learner, was provided with PCHR funding to attend 3 events this academic year. To read her report on the Evaluation Workshop Series, IUHPE Conference, and Symposium on Complex Systems in Public Health, please click here.

Overview for 2007/08

The conduct of community-based research presents a set of challenges and opportunities that are distinct from laboratory or clinical research. It also demands a different set of skills, competencies and experiences. The CIHR/MSFHR Strategic Training Program Grant in Partnering in Community Health Research (PCHR) provides training for graduate students, post‑doctoral fellows and community program practitioners and specialists. Working in partnership, program participants learn research skills required to resolve actual and urgent community health problems.

PCHR is aimed at:

- Fostering research targeted at urgent local community health needs;

- Strengthening the linkage between research and policy/practice;

- Promoting interdisciplinary health research.

PCHR's most innovative feature is the creation of community-based learning environments, called clusters. Clusters comprise a combination of academic and community mentors and learners. Clusters allow for community-based learning environments; this approach means shared learning across diverse university and community groups through project-based teamwork on actual community research priorities.

The clusters have chosen the following research area(s):

Vulnerable Populations/Community Health Research: health literacy and local community capacity building; and primary health care renewal, with a focus on chronic disease management

Workplace Health Research: developing and evaluating interventions to make healthcare healthier (e.g., reducing injuries in healthcare organizations)

Currently in its sixth year, PCHR includes 13 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and community learners, and academic and community mentors representing a range of disciplines and professions. To date, 46 trainees have completed the program. The program is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research.

For Information contact: Faye Pedersen, Training Program Manager, Centre for Population Health Promotion Research, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, LPC Bldg, Room 426, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3; (604) 822-6515, Fax: (604) 822-9210, faye.pedersen@ubc.ca