The Government of the Northwest Territories (NWT) has put out a research call-out with diverse questions within the research fields of public health, culture, community and innovation health division research interests and culture, community and innovation health division research interests. 
 

Public Health research interests:

• What were the health effects of wildfire smoke on first responders and NWT residents during the 2023 wildfire season? (Immediate and long term)
•  What effects is climate change having on global disease patterns and will NWT be adversely effected in the coming years?
   

Culture, Community and Innovation Health division research interests:

• Research on indicators of complexity in primary care
• How can we build community capacity for delivering wellness programming?
•  What harm reductive practices would the NWT benefit most from in order to address the contaminated drug supply?
• Would a lay vaccination program in the NWT reduce the risk of rabies? How could this program be stood up effectively and equitably with limited resources?
• What is the cost/benefit of publicly funding shingles vaccine to all NWT residents over a certain age?  Same question for pneumococcal vaccine but add crowded and congregate settings?
• Evaluating and exploring strategies to decrease the impacts of tuberculosis treatment (where it could incorporate some of the recent findings on discontinuing isolation earlier based on some of the research that was just presented as well as the ability/effectiveness of incorporating VOT for treatment versus DOT
• What effective programs or solutions can agencies put in place to reduce the spread of communicable disease in underserved, homeless or overcrowded populations?
   

Child and Family Services research interests:

• Evaluation of the impact of family preservation program
• What opportunities exist to bridge other sectors in supporting families systems to reduce child protection concerns?
• What are the impacts of maintaining cultural connections for children within the child welfare system?
• What are the impacts of vicarious trauma on Indigenous staff serving members of their community in the child welfare system? What strategies can be developed to mitigate the impacts of vicarious trauma?
• How do cultural biases and structural inequities impact the assessment of foster and adoptive homes for children/youth in the child welfare system?
• What is the impact of legislative timelines on child protection services on family reunification?
• NWT highest per capita impacted by residential school- Baskin introduces the term ‘collective trauma’ – over 150 years of Residential School and we need to Acknowledge that all Indigenous peoples feel impact of colonization (even if not survivors of residential school). Impacts continue to be felt through racism, inequitable social determinants of health. Skill building for parents and care providers, has better outcome than information and advice. What can we do to build the adult /parents capacity we work with? What can we do to stabilize, support and encourage resilience in our practice?
• Literature review on ethical ways to gather the voice of service users to inform the child welfare system, delivery and policies.
• Examination best practices in standard development and revisions for child welfare?

If you have interest in any of these research topics, please email the Indigeous Research Support Team: IRST@ucalgary.ca