Sheridan awarded over $1 million to advance research on health equity, leadership systems and unhoused care

Sheridan is advancing solutions to some of today’s most pressing social challenges — in healthcare, gender equity, and homelessness — through three applied research projects supported by more than $1 million in federal funding from the College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF).

The funding, provided through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), will provide each project with up to $360,000 over a three-year period to support development of innovative solutions that address pressing social issues and the needs of our community: amplifying the voices of patients receiving palliative care to improve clinical trainings, empowering women with sustainable pathways to leadership and examining the impact of mobile primary care units for the homeless and underhoused.

This investment is critical to advancing research that not only highlights gaps in care and equity but also drives practical, scalable solutions supporting some of our most vulnerable populations. NSERC's support of this work ensures that meaningful, evidence-based change is both achievable and prioritized.

“Securing three highly competitive CCSIF grants is a significant achievement that speaks to Sheridan’s national reputation as a leader in applied research,” said Dr. Vicki Mowat, Dean of Research at Sheridan. “NSERC’s continued investment reflects the calibre of our researchers, the strength of our community partnerships and our ability to deliver high-impact research with real-world impact that improves lives, removes barriers and advances equity across our communities.”

“College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grants foster impactful community innovation by connecting the capabilities of Canada’s colleges with the research needs of community organizations. I am very pleased the government of Canada is awarding over $1 million to Sheridan College for applied research to address community needs in health care, social support and gender equity. Building a strong, resilient community helps improve the well-being of everyone living in it and these funds will help deliver that,” said The Honourable Anita Anand, Member of Parliament for Oakville East and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Embedded Meaning: Adding Voices of Patients Receiving Palliative Care in Clinical Training

Led by Dr. Karen Slonim through Generator at Sheridan’s Centre for Elder Research, this project works to enhance education around palliative approaches to care, advanced care planning and serious illness conversations by adding the element of human connection into existing theory-based teachings through the co-creation of videos with persons at end-of-life.

Working in partnership with Alliance for Healthier Communities, Cambridge North Dumfries Ontario Health Team, Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and palliative care education provider Pallium Canada, researchers will curate a collection of video interviews featuring the insights and experiences of older adults receiving a palliative approach to care.

These story-telling videos will become part of an open-source library that healthcare professionals and educators can access at any time and will be integrated into existing and future training.

Community Ideas Factory: Pathways to Potential

Women comprise nearly half of Canada’s labour force and earn advanced degrees at higher rates than men. Yet, they continue to hold fewer leadership roles across industry sectors.

Dr. Sara Cumming and co-leader Dr. Jessica Pulis, professors in Sheridan's Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, are tackling this gap with a new project aimed at uncovering and dismantling the systemic barriers that hold women back in the workplace. While existing research shows that early life experiences can play a crucial role, this project will explore additional under-examined influences such as family dynamics, mentorship and extracurricular activities in bringing up future women leaders.

The project is supported by partners including Women of Influence+, Balsam Advisory, the Institute for Better Health at Trillium Health Partners and WeirFoulds LLP, who bring expertise in global women’s leadership development, investment relations, health care and law. Findings will be used to create evidence-based leadership development strategies that can be shared through conferences and workshops hosted by women-focused organizations, and eventually integrated into schools and extracurricular programs.

Innovations in Healthcare: Offering Primary Care Services for the Homeless and Underhoused Through a Mobile Community Health Center

With over 80,000 Ontarians experiencing homelessness as of 2024, a new Sheridan research project aims to provide insights into how best to meet the healthcare needs of unhoused individuals, who often face barriers such as limited transportation, fear of discrimination from healthcare providers, and competing priorities like food or safe shelter.

Led by Dr. Daphene Francis through Sheridan’s Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies, along with co-investigator Dr. Linda Frost from York University’s School of Nursing, and in partnership with Support House, a not-for-profit organization based in Halton Region, researchers will gather data-driven insights to help establish if Support House’s mobile community health team effectively meets the needs of unhoused individuals in Halton through the equitable care it strives to provide.

This will assist in supporting advocacy and investment efforts by the organization and create evidence-based recommendations that will allow similar organizations to deliver initiatives addressing the increased need for care within their own communities.

About Generator at Sheridan

Generator at Sheridan is where purpose and passion unite the extraordinary research, innovation and entrepreneurship undertaken by Sheridan’s faculty, staff and students, working across disciplines and sectors, to drive meaningful impact for an ever-changing world. In addition to our exceptional faculty-led research, Sheridan also boasts five renowned research and entrepreneurship centres that provide innovation supports to community, industry and government partners. Learn more at sheridancollege.ca/generator.