Grant: Canada First Research Excellence Fund

Children in Canada and across the world face disparities, barriers and impositions that prevent them from living their brightest and fullest lives. Our failings towards children are stark and the downward trend sobering: In 2020, UNICEF ranks Canada 30th among 38 wealthy countries in child health and wellness outcomes, down from 12th in 2007. This failing is most pronounced for Indigenous children, exacerbated by a history of colonialism and systemic racism. Canada has failed to prioritize strategic investments in child health. The One Child Every Child Initiative will be the first to enact Indigenous and non-Indigenous Parallel Paths of research and knowledge mobilization. Jointly it focuses on three themes situated at intersections of greatest need and opportunity for discovery and impact: Better Beginnings addresses maternal and perinatal health; Precision Health and Wellness develops innovative diagnostic, therapeutic and targeted social interventions; Vulnerable to Thriving addresses challenges of neurodiversity and mental health, including social determinants of health. Within each theme, interdisciplinary teams address biomedical, social, societal, economic, and structural determinants to advance grand challenge projects. This approach will uniquely train future health research leaders. Cross-cutting accelerators provide disciplinary expertise, innovation and resources, including an accelerator dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion. Solutions include building capacity for Indigenous-led scholarship and respect for Indigenous self-determination. Transformational change will be driven by our cross-sectoral knowledge mobilization strategy. This proposal represents Canada’s first unified strategic research partnership for child health. Our capacity for transformation is magnified by our partnerships. These include our academic partners in Alberta and beyond, provincial health care teams, the Canadian child health research institutes, and diverse cross-sectoral networks, including the Inspiring Healthy Futures Network. Together we will generate transformative knowledge and effectively address health disparities to foster economic growth and social innovation. We will transform child health research in Canada with global impact, promote Indigenous-led knowledge creation and self-determination, and drive discovery and innovation.