About the Event

This presentation examines how cross-institutional collaboration shaped the development of Thunder Bay’s Community Indicator Framework (CIF). Led by the City through CityStudio, the CIF aligned municipal, academic, and community partners to build a shared evidence base supporting Community Safety and Well-Being priorities and coordinated responses to complex community challenges.  This event is hosted by NOSM University, Lakehead Health Sciences & Confederation College.

Speakers

Dr. Helle Møller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Lakehead University. Her work spans the determinants of health, social justice, and equity, with particular attention to perinatal people, people on the female continuum, and Indigenous communities in northern, rural, and remote regions.

Gustavo Petterle is a Professor of Health Informatics and Healthcare Administration at Confederation College and a PhD candidate in Health Sciences at Lakehead University. His work focuses on AI-enabled evaluation, analytics strategy, and participatory governance, including the co-development of a Community Indicator Framework (CIF) to support evidence-informed planning, innovation, and community impact.

Christina Foresto is a professor of Health Informatics at Confederation College. With a background in health analytics and biostatistics, her passion lies in leveraging data and digital tools to support evidence-based decision making in healthcare settings. Most recently, her work has centred around community-based data initiatives in Northwestern Ontario.

Louisa Costanzo is the Community Safety and Well-Being Manager for the City of Thunder Bay. Her work centres relationships, shared learning, and the thoughtful use of data and lived experience to support equity-informed, human-centred approaches that help communities turn insight into action.

About the Event

This presentation shares lessons from the CityStudio Thunder Bay pilot, highlighting the “magic” behind effective Community Service Learning. Drawing on faculty, student, and community experiences, it demonstrates how well-designed CSL projects enhance student learning while delivering meaningful, real-world value for community partners.  This event is hosted by Karen Kerk, CityStudio Thunder Bay, NOSM University.

Speakers

Karen Kerk (MSW) is the CityStudio/CCE Coordinator for the City of Thunder Bay, where she leads collaborative projects between the City, post-secondary institutions, and community partners. Through CityStudio, she supports experiential learning and community-based research that engages students and faculty in addressing real-world municipal priorities across sectors.

Dr. Helle Møller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Lakehead University. Her work spans the determinants of health, social justice, and equity, with particular attention to perinatal people, people on the female continuum, and Indigenous communities in northern, rural, and remote regions.

Kristina Baraskewich is a marketing and communications leader with industry and academic experience. Formerly with Comark Inc. and Firedog Communications, she specializes in strategy, project management, and training. Now a post-secondary instructor and Program Coordinator of Business Marketing at Confederation College, she contributes through leadership, advisory roles, and community service across Northern Ontario and beyond.

Louisa Costanzo is the Community Safety and Well-Being Manager for the City of Thunder Bay. Her work centres relationships, shared learning, and the thoughtful use of data and lived experience to support equity-informed, human-centred approaches that help communities turn insight into action.

About the Event

Students from all graduate programs are invited to present their research and compete with their program colleagues in a poster presentation in person on the Thunder Bay campus. Date of Competition: Tuesday, February 24, 2026 from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Registration

To register for this event (by February 6, 2026), please click here.

CIHR is hosting the following webinar to support participants with the requirements of the funding opportunity “Spring 2026 Project Grant” and to answer questions on how to apply.

Duration: 60 minutes
When: Thursday, January 22, 2026 at 11:00 AM ET | Join

Statistics Canada is pleased to host a virtual webinar on data analysis and access related to 2SLGBTQI+ data, in support of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR) "Advancing 2SLGBTQI+ Health Through Research" funding opportunity.

Participants will hear directly from Statistics Canada's subject matter, access, and methodology experts, who will discuss approaches to measuring and reporting on the 2SLGBTQI+ population. Topics will include key variables, data sources, terminology, and existing data gaps. The session will also provide guidance on options for accessing both aggregate data and microdata.

When: January 14, 2026, 1:00-2:30 PM ET | Register
Duration: 90 minutes
Language: English presentation

NFRF - 2026 International Competition - Information Webinar 
Date/Time/Registration Link: February 3, 2026, 9:30 AM to 11:30 PM | (UTC-04:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada) / Registration Link
Webinar number: 273 763 573 256 3
Webinar password: 2wK7Bp3Y

SSHRC Webinar: SSHRC Impact Awards: April 2026 Competition
Date/Time: January 22, 2026 / 1:30 to 3:00 PM
Registration link.

NSERC’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program awards grants of up to $1.65M over 6 years for the development of innovative training programs designed to enhance collaboration and facilitate the transition of trainees to productive employees in the Canadian workforce.

In preparation for the next CREATE competition, the CREATE team will hold an information session via MS Teams webinar to provide an overview of the CREATE program and application process. Although the CREATE program’s processes remain unchanged from last year, important information will be conveyed at this session, including the special call supported through quantum funding announced in Budget 2025 as part of the upcoming Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS). Your attendance is highly recommended.

The webinar will be recorded. Following the presentation, a link to that recording will be emailed to this distribution list or upon request so that those who are unable to attend may watch the recorded webinar later at their convenience.

Researchers may send any questions regarding the CREATE program and/or the application process in advance to create@nserc-crsng.gc.ca so that we may address them in the presentation.