How language shapes health care and health research: A collaborative project to better understand and address deficit-based discourse

As part of this placement, the student will have an opportunity to join a pan-Canadian team of Indigenous and non-Indigenous health care providers, researchers and community members who are hoping to change the way Indigenous Peoples are written and talked about in academic research and health care settings. Our goal is to better understand and address the negative framings that can perpetuate stereotypes and ultimately lead to culturally unsafe care. As part of this project, during Fall 2026 and Winter 2027, we will be conducting a systematic literature review on the concepts and theoretical models that have been developed across di erent disciplines to understand deficit-based and strength-based discourse. The student’s responsibilities will involve participating in regular team meetings, developing a search strategy in collaboration with the research team and a research librarian, reading and analyzing articles, and writing a research report. The student will have an opportunity to participate in the development of conference abstracts or manuscript submissions. Through these activities, the student will develop skills in systematic literature review methods, critical analysis of discourse, collaborative and interdisciplinary research, and academic writing within the context of Indigenous health research. The student will be working in close collaboration with other students and researchers in Ottawa, British Columbia, Québec, and Saskatchewan. Outside of regular online team meetings (approximately 15 hours in total), the student will be able to work on their tasks in a self-paced  manner (approximately 75 hours of autonomous research work).