9 researchers receive Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards

Nine researchers from the University of Toronto have received Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards for 2025-26.

Given by the Connaught Fund, the awards support research carried out in collaboration with non-academic community partners and driven by their needs and priorities. A total of just over $850,000 is being disbursed for the 2025-26 competition, with each project eligible to receive up to $50,000 per year for one to two years.

"The Connaught Community Partnership Research Program has a proud track record of supporting projects that have driven research priorities identified by community partners, while strengthening relationships between U of T scholars, community organizations and communities across Canada," said Leah Cowen, U of T’s vice-president, research and innovation, and strategic initiatives.

"This year's projects address important issues that range from approaches to safeguard water resources against wildfires to supporting mental health of Kichwa youth."

The recipients of the 2025-26 Connaught Community Partnership Research Program awards are:

• Anita Benoit, department of health and society, U of T Scarborough – Revitalizing ancestral knowledge: Co-creating a culturally grounded game to support Kichwa youth mental health
• Susana Béjar, department of linguistics, Faculty of Arts & Science – Keeping the conversations: Transcription and technology for Inuttitut audio 
• Chavon Niles, department of physical therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Challenging dominant discourses of care: Disabled women and gender diverse people navigating dual roles as caregivers and care recipients in Ontario
• Beatrice Jauregui, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, Faculty of Arts & Science – Community peacekeeping, justice, and law in Kahnawà:ke
• Kelly O'Brien, department of physical therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – AIM-PROM-EDQ: Advancing implementation of patient-reported outcome measures: Developing a novel pathway for enhancing health outcomes using the Episodic Disability Questionnaire (EDQ) with community 
• Rasoul Yousefpour, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design – Forest management approaches for safeguarding water resources against wildfires
• Lindsey Gail Smith, department of geography and planning, Faculty of Arts & Science –Bridging the gap between health and parks: Building a community-led green social prescribing agenda in Canada
• Suryani (Yani) Hamdani, department of occupational science and occupational therapy, Temerty Faculty of Medicine – Building community partnerships to improve supportive housing for Ontarians with developmental disabilities
• Tina Malti, Centre for Child Development, Mental Health and Policy, U of T Mississauga – Promoting mental health and social-emotional development in youth ages 11-15 in Canada

Read more about the Connaught Community Partnership Research Program