Grant: CIHR Institute Summer Programs - Host Planning - CIHR-IA Summer Program in Aging

Cape Breton University is an emerging leader in rural, community-based, and culturally sensitive approaches to healthy aging. In Cape Breton, 28% of the population is aged 65 or older, which is nearly 10% higher than the national average (Statistics Canada, 2024). To support this aging population, CBU's strategic plan calls for using community-based strategies to expand health programming to serve older adults across the Island. As such, CBU's commitment aligns with the CIHR Summer Program in Aging (SPA) 2027's theme, "building care and services to support community-dwelling older Canadians," making CBU an ideal location to host the 2027 CIHR SPA. The CIHR SPA will be supported by CBU administration and staff, particularly in the areas of Events Planning, Development, Media and Communications, and Recreation), as well as relevant research institutes, including the Centre for Sound Communities (Ostashewski) and the Centre of Excellence for Healthy Aging (CEHA). CEHA is a leader in supporting gerontological research, supporting knowledge translation and research that enables rural Nova Scotians to age in dignity in their own communities. This mission is aligned with the SPA 2027 theme, "Building care and services to support community-dwelling older Canadians." CEHA partners with community organizations and the senior service sector. CEHA also maintains a large membership of affiliated researchers who are international and national leaders in their respective fields. CEHA affiliated researchers represent multiple disciplines, including business, sociology, medicine, social work, psychology, nursing, and education, biology, and more. Affiliated researchers and CEHA staff will collaborate to host the CIHR SPA 2027 and, along with leading scholars from across Canada, will serve as SPA mentors for the topic area.