Grant: Planning Grants - PA: Integrated health services, Developmental Origins of hlth

The 'Children's Health Research Integration Stimulus Project' (CHRISP) is the first major research initiative of the newly established 'Evaluating Children's Health Outcomes' (ECHO) Research Centre at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario. In the year that ECHO has existed, we have identified a research direction that is community-based, and we have strong interest and support from community partners to pursue collaborative research. CHRISP supports the implementation of a structure and process that will connect researchers with community partners and service providers, leading to a large-scale research study in our region. Preliminary consultation with over 30 community organizations lead ECHO researchers to determine that the concept of resilience could encompass most, if not all, of the organizations' identified research priorities. Accordingly, CHRISP's focus is on improving resilience in children, their families, and their communities. Resilience includes physical and mental health, and the impacts of ecosystem change on children's health. Key vulnerable groups that have been identified include Francophone and Aboriginal children, children with mental health issues, and children with disabilities. CHRISP is a creative monthly meeting process comprised of 6 half-day working sessions alternating with 6 shorter lunch-in-action sessions. During the working sessions invited world-class researchers will help to stimulate and shape research proposals. The lunch-in-action sessions will be held at various community partners to maintain momentum in the development of research projects. There are tremendous opportunities to enhance children's health in northeastern Ontario through research, especially within a municipality the size of Sudbury where organizations are in close proximity. By bringing ECHO researchers and community partners together, we are poised to make a difference in children's health research within our region.