Grant: Operating Grant: NEIHR - Quebec

The Tahatikonhsontóntie' (the faces yet to come) Quebec Network Environment for Indigenous Health Research (QcNEIHR) is a community-based health research network. The QcNEIHR vision is that all Indigenous communities and organizations in Quebec have the self-determination to sustain health research for the wellbeing of future generations. The QcNEIHR mission is to provide a space for Indigenous communities, elders, youth, researchers, and knowledge users to unite for health promotion, community-led participatory research, and training. The Mohawk community of Kahnawà:ke hosts the QcNEIHR, and builds on the Kahnawake Schools Diabetes Prevention Program (KSDPP) which is an award-winning best practice in successful community-academic partnerships, community-led research, and research ethics. The QcNEIHR uses a horizontal approach to expand and strengthen its network. With the concepts of relationality and a knowledge network as foundations, the QcNEIHR is analyzing its own network to ask: what characterizes an Indigenous health research knowledge network, and how does this contribute to advancing self-determination in research? The QcNEIHR will focus on three branches: 1) to enhance Indigenous communities' capacity, interest, and infrastructure for relevant health research, 2) to enhance interest in, access to, and support for emerging Indigenous researchers in health research and 3) to enhance institutional recognition, support, and infrastructure for Indigenous health research that responds to community needs.