NSERC awards $2M Mobilize grant to launch Loyalist College’s Centre for Healthy Communities

Belleville, ON, Dec. 8, 2023 – This week, the federal government announced that Loyalist College has been awarded a $2,108,000 Mobilize grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to lead transformational research in health equity. The funding will be distributed over five years to establish Loyalist’s Centre for Healthy Communities (CFHC), a new applied research centre focused on tackling urgent problems in health care, social services and community well-being.

“The CFHC is much more than a conventional research centre – it’s a dynamic, interdisciplinary entity that will adapt and evolve with the communities it serves,” says Loyalist College President and CEO Mark Kirkpatrick. “In alignment with our institutional values and commitment to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals in everything we do, the CFHC will build on Loyalist’s leadership in social innovation, sustainability and applied research. The new centre will help to mitigate poverty, support our collective health and well-being, foster quality education, and address socioeconomic and health disparities that have long-standing implications for the prosperity and cohesion of our region.”

As a “centre without walls,” the Centre for Healthy Communities will connect not-for-profits, community services and government agencies with the knowledge and skills of Loyalist College researchers, faculty and students to support community-based research projects. The CFHC’s research and partnership activities will be embedded within the community, enabling responsiveness to local needs which are marked by the complex interconnections of health and social factors. The CFHC seamlessly integrates with Loyalist’s long-term vision to champion sustainability – encompassing ecological, human, and economic health and vitality – through applied research.

The new centre will provide Loyalist College students with unique opportunities to gain real-world experiences, working alongside potential employers and making a difference while they learn.

“Every day, our local community organizations and services grapple with inequities, labour shortages and gaps in our health care system,” says Jeremy Laurin, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Transformation. “Unlike private enterprises, most community-based organizations lack the financial resources to invest in cutting-edge research to address these problems – that’s where Loyalist’s CFHC can step in to provide expertise, advanced equipment, funding and talent to create meaningful change.”

Learn more about applied research at Loyalist College.

About Loyalist College

Loyalist College is built upon the lands governed by the Dish with One Spoon wampum agreement. We affirm and thank the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabeg and Huron-Wendat nations for their continued caretaking of the land. At Loyalist, we empower our students with wraparound support services and hands-on training to succeed on any path they choose. Our academic programs are responsive and innovative, designed to solve pressing social and economic challenges and meet the evolving needs of our regional industry and community partners. Our graduates enter the workforce equipped with the knowledge they need to be better global citizens, and with future-focused skills to lead change in their fields. With a presence in Belleville, Bancroft, Port Hope, Tyendinaga and Toronto, we believe our institutional responsibility extends beyond the classroom to seeing the big picture for the communities we serve. Our expertise in applied research and deep connections to local industry support economic development, to the benefit of businesses, entrepreneurs, changemakers and innovators. Our commitment to decolonization, and the pursuit of a more inclusive, equitable world, means we hold ourselves accountable to the diverse perspectives, cultures and experiences that shape our communities.

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Contact:
Hannah Brown
Director of Marketing and Communications
613-921-0784
hbrown@loyalistcollege.com