Grant: Training Grant

Work disability, occurring when a worker is unable to remain at or resume work because of a health problem, is prevalent and imposes a heavy burden on Canadian society and abroad. In 2002, the CIHR acknowledged the need for developing capacity in the field of work disability prevention (WDP) by subsidizing the development and implementation of the WDP CIHR Strategic Training Program, a unique training program in the world. The main objective of this program is to help future researchers develop transdisciplinary knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding WDP. The WDP Training Program is an advanced diploma program which is superimposed onto the doctoral or post-doctoral studies taken by the trainees at their own universities. During the last 6 years, the Program has trained 54 high-quality trainees from 11 countries. This proposal pursues two objectives: (1) to continue to improve young researchers' training in WDP and (2) to develop an international community of practice in WDP. This proposal gathers a large team of 30 highly qualified mentors with various expertises and from 16 universities, 9 research centres, and 4 countries. Also, this application proposes the organisation of a community of practice that had spontaneously emerged from the experience of the Program participants. Not only will it be formally organized to foster year-round knowledge building among trainees, alumni and mentors, but it will also be extended for the benefit of stakeholders and allow for their participation. Over the past years, this training program has contributed to raise national training standards and reinforce Canada's international leadership role in building WDP capacity. Working toward the objectives of this proposal will allow the development of knowledge building, translation and exchange to help reduce the individual and societal burden of work disability. Continuation of the grant will allow excellence to be maintained as the training program moves toward full autonomy.