Message from the Vice-Dean, Research | Faculty of Health Sciences

Health Research (really) Matters!Professors in the Faculty of Health Sciences are demonstrating significant progress in promoting and improving health care, health, and well-being.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary since I started as an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at uOttawa and I reflect on my experiences as a researcher. In 2005, we had few professors conducting research and often they conducted their research in affiliated positions elsewhere. I too obtained a scientist position at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute where I could collaborate with others who focused only on research. Over time, I shifted to collaborating with researchers in our Faculty and was delighted to watch our Faculty expand from one inter-faculty doctoral program to four programs. Doctoral students truly enhance a culture of research.

I feel inspired by the excellence in the research being conducted by our professors within our state-of-the-art university infrastructures, in the community, at healthcare settings, and on the world stage. We are showing that Health Research Matters in health sciences, human kinetics, nursing, nutrition, and rehabilitation. It is a privilege to be part of this dynamic research community and see the impact our research has on science, practice, education, organizations, and policy.

In the last year, our researchers secured over $11.7M in external research funding. The impact and quality of our research is reflected in impressive traditional and non-traditional research metrics, and recognized with 17 awards and prizes. The Faculty has new research chairs: recruiting for three new Canada Research Chairs (CRCs) and secured four new research chairs (one announcement still under embargo):

Josephine Etowa (SoN) - CRC Tier 1 in Advancing Black Women’s Health in Canada
Angel Foster (ISHS) - University Chair in Medication Abortion
Michelle Lalonde (SoN) - University of Ottawa/Institut du Savoir Montfort Joint Chair on the Health of Francophones in Ontario.

One of my favourite initiatives this year was facilitating the Book Club: Developing your research program (written by Nancy Edwards, a Distinguished Emeritus Professor, 2018). Early career professors met four times over 2 months, including a session with the book’s author, to discuss select chapters in the book and consider how to conceptualize and describe their programs of research. The sessions offered time for thinking about research programs, obtaining feedback in a ‘safe’ environment, and building a sense of a research community.

The Research Committee and our Research Office have been working on several initiatives:

Enhancing use of narratives about professors’ research by sharing stories written in the uOttawa Gazette, shifting to the new uOttawa CV template, and getting prepared for the new Tri-Council CV requiring narratives.
Increasing the visibility of research by working with the Faculty’s Marketing and Communications Team to update professor online profiles, share messages on social media, enhance research visibility on the Faculty website, and showcase research in tours with the uOttawa Board of Governors and donors.
Lobbying the Office of the Vice-President Research and Innovation and IT to secure a REDCap instance at uOttawa.
Proposing various actions to decrease the environmental impact of research
Encouraging mission-driven research with meaningful engagement of external partners and knowledge users.

In our Annual Research Report, we highlight achievements and impact from the past year, guided by our new strategic research priorities to Innovate, Mobilize and Impact. I hope you find something in our research accomplishments to inspire you too. Our research undoubtedly shows how much Health Research Matters!

Dawn Stacey, Vice-Dean Research

Research funding 2024-2025

11.7 M

Annual external funding all sources

6.1 M

Funding from the tri-council

5.1 M

Funding from government and associations