CIHR Operating Grant : COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
Well-being, Health and Biomedical Discovery
Deadlines
Academic Unit: Inquire within your unit
Memorial Deadline: Thursday 5th, August 2021
External Deadline: Tuesday 10th, August 2021
Description
Vaccination is one of the most effective prophylactic interventions in the history of public health. Widespread vaccine uptake has eradicated smallpox worldwide, and eliminated polio, measles, rubella, and congenital rubella syndrome in the Americas. Despite these historic successes, in 2019, the World Health Organization declared vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats. In Canada we have seen the impact of declining immunization rates result in a concerning re-emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support research that will inform effective strategies to improve COVID-19 vaccine confidence and in turn, uptake, among populations experiencing systemic inequities, conditions of marginalization, Indigenous Peoples and/or among populations who are historically under-vaccinated. This research initiative encourages the consideration of structural, contextual, intersectional5 and historical barriers influencing risk perceptions and health behaviours related to vaccination across multiple levels (e.g., individual, community, population). Given the wide-ranging reasons for vaccine hesitancy, there is a strong need for community-based, evidence-informed, interdisciplinary and intersectoral approaches that integrate the social sciences. Collaborative partnerships with key stakeholders (eg. communities, knowledge users, healthcare providers, thought leaders, and Indigenous Leaders, Elders and Knowledge Keepers) to leverage existing resources and capacity within communities will be needed. Therefore, this funding opportunity is designed to support community-based research approaches, such as (but not limited to):participatory action research (PAR), Indigenous methodologies, empowerment evaluation approaches, community asset mapping, and citizen science.
Additonal information can be found at ResearchNet.