Rainbow Health Ontario Presents
Funding for LGBT Health Research: A Skills-Building Forum
Currently there is a lack of research evidence about the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transsexual or transgender (LGBT) populations in Ontario and Canada. This lack of information has
created significant barriers for policy makers and health care providers who are trying to respond to the
health needs of these communities. It also creates barriers to us as LGBT individuals who want to be
well-informed about our own health. Canadian organizations have had to make many assumptions
about the similarity of LGBT experiences, in relying on research data from the U.S., Europe and Australia
to determine priorities when developing their LGBT health programs. Canadian organizations that serve
these communities must make decisions without reliable Ontario data, and often without any populationbased Canadian data at all.
One of the major barriers which has prevented the development of a solid body of evidence on LGBT
health is the lack of funding for LGBT health research. No major funding body in Canada identifies
LGBT health research as a distinct category which is eligible for funding. Many researchers have tried to
answer questions about LGBT health by applying for HIV-targeted funding. Although this has provided
some insight into the health status of our communities, it has limited the kinds of research questions that
can be asked. Almost all our Canadian research is therefore focused on sexual health issues or other
issues as they relate to HIV.
One of the goals of RHO is to promote LGBT health research in the province of Ontario. We are hosting
this forum to in order to:
1. Help our communities become familiar with sources of funding for LGBT research.
2. Build skills and knowledge within our communities to improve our ability to secure funding for
research.
3. Build networks of people within our communities that may work together to answer questions
related to LGBT health and well-being.
4. Build relationships with funders to explore research issues with respect to LGBT health and
wellness
Who should come? Anyone who is interested in LGBT health research:
 Community Members
 Service Providers
 Community-based Researchers
 Students
 University-based researchers
Location: TBD -- Location will be in downtown Toronto – we will send confirmation of the location to
registered participants. We have been unable to confirm the location due to the
labour stoppage in Toronto. The event will be held in a wheelchair accessible
space.
Date and Time: September 11th, 2009
10am – 5pm
Cost:
We are asking that all participants contribute $20 towards the cost of refreshments at the
forum. We will provide lunch and snacks. If this presents a barrier to your participation,
please let us know and accommodation can be made. We will only accept payment on the
day of the forum, in the form of cheques made payable to Rainbow Health Ontario, or cash.
Forum Agenda:
The day will be organized into 3 workshop sessions:
Workshop #1: Opening the Black Box: Understanding CIHR's Peer Review Process
Researchers understand the inputs (grant applications) and outputs (funding decisions) of the peer
review process, but they tend to be less familiar with its structure and inner workings. The aim of this
interactive workshop is to open the “black box” of the peer review process used by the Canadian
Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). Topics to be covered include: CIHR’s open and strategic funding
competitions, the structure of CIHR’s peer review committees, and how those committees evaluate and
rank applications. The workshop will include a participatory mock peer review process as well as time
for questions and discussion.
Presenters:
 Lori E. Ross, Research Scientist, Social Equity & Health Research Section, Centre for Addiction
& Mental Health (CIHR-funded LGBT health researcher)
 Zena Sharman, Assistant Director, CIHR’s Institute of Gender and Health
Workshop #2: SSHRC Funding: Defining LGBT Health for Social Science Funding
This workshop will explore how SSHRC funding – especially in the social sciences – can be used to
support LGBT health research. Recently, SSHRC and CIHR have developed a new division of labour
assigning “health research” to CIHR. Nonetheless, disciplines such as social work, sociology and
political science leave openings for social science or humanities research that takes up themes that are
relevant to LGBT health. These grants also permit community partnerships. Miriam Smith, who has
received grants from SSHRC for LGBT research, will discuss her experiences.
Presenters:
 Miriam Smith, Professor, Law & Society Program, Department of Social Science, York
University
 Representative from SSHRC (invited)
Workshop #3: Where Do We Go from Here? – Setting Priorities in Our Communities
The last session of the day will focus on hearing about the interests and priorities of forum participants.
Participants will be organized into smaller working groups according to topical interests. Each group
will be a mix of community members, community based researchers, academic researchers, and
service providers. By the conclusion of this session, we will identify some clear next steps that we want
to pursue in relation to securing more funding for community-centred research in our communities. If
there is sufficient interest and commitment, some of the small groups may decide to continue to work
together on projects of interest. NB – Please indicate in your registration package of which small
group you would like to take part in. If you have suggestions for additional small groups please let
us know by indicating on the registration form.
Facilitators:
 Roy Cain, Professor, School of Social Work McMaster University
 Lance McCready, Assistant Professor of Urban Education, Dept. of Curriculum, Teaching, and
Learning, OISE/UT
 Loralee Gillis, Research and Policy Coordinator, Rainbow Health Ontario
Registration Form
Please send your registration to Kira Abelsohn by email (kabelsohn@RainbowHealthOntario.ca) or
Fax (416.324.4262). For inquiries, Kira can be reached at 416.324.4100 x5287.
Name:
Organizational Affiliation
(if any):
Email:
Mailing Address:
Phone:
Dietary Restrictions:
Which group would you like to participate in for Workshop #3?
(please select your top THREE choices by indicating 1, 2, and 3)
 Access to health care
 Issues related to
 Bisexual Health
Immigration and
 Discrimination and
LGBT communities
Human rights
 Lesbian health
 Education
 LGBT people and
 Ethnoracial LGBT
disabilities
communities
 Mental Health
 Gay men’s health
 Parenting
 Other - please specify
Payment -- please indicate if you are able to pay the registration fee:
 I will bring $20 to the event to cover the cost of refreshments
 I am unable to contribute financially to this event
NB – Receipts will be provided at the event
 Poverty and Housing
 Rural and Northern
Issues
 Seniors
 Sexual Health
 Trans Health
 Two-Spirit health
 Youth