Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Background: In 2017, working with researchers from McMaster University, the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network (CAAN) led a comprehensive review of their research history. The key question was: Where have we've been and where are we going? This work was inspired by the desire to better use CAAN's evidence base to improve our research focus, our research practice, and to guide future research projects and programs. Methods: Using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP), we charted all CAAN's research. The chart captured key research using the following headings: (1) methodology; (2) method; (3) analytic procedures; (4) knowledge transfer, translation, and mobilization; and (5) key findings. Participatory analysis focused on gaps in our research, trends focused on and evolving research approach, and a summary of key research findings/recommendations that might inform public policy and program development. Results: Three thematic areas emerged from our analysis, including: (1) An evolving research focus (e.g., From catalyst grants and operating grants in the CBR funding stream to applying to open operating and centre grant research competitions, etc.); (2) Trends associated with CAAN's research approach (e.g., Using solely Western approaches and methods to more use of decolonizing and Indigenous methodologies, etc.); and (3) A thematic summary of research findings (e.g., from a focus on the pathologies of risk and living HIV experience, to recognizing colonization as a driving force that shapes experiences to HIV, to recognizing that culture and cultural reclamation provide an effective mediating response from a strengthen-based perspective, etc.). Conclusion: Several gaps in the focus of CAAN research were noted (e.g., transgender, intervention and program science research). As well, we continue to work to further develop our use of Indigenous methodologies (e.g., analytic approaches to understanding data from within an Indigenous world view).