Established in 2022, the Centre for Indigenous Health Research and Education (CIHRE) is focused on improving Indigenous health education, research and capacity development to better serve and ensure quality care for First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities within the Faculty of Medicine’s geographic service area.
Given the existing strengths and the rich diversity and resilience in the local Indigenous community, the Centre will seek opportunities to collaborate alongside Indigenous organizations on priority areas of health and wellbeing. It will be a standard-setting organization in data-governance, that models the operationalization of Indigenous research ethics. It will work to honor Indigenous Peoples’ right to have the highest attainable health, by embracing the principle of self-determination as articulated in UNDRIP.
Building on the success of the Undergraduate Medical Education Indigenous Program, the Faculty of Medicine, through the CIHRE, commits to comprehensively address Indigenous education goals across all of the faculty’s educational programs. Therefore, given the faculty’s commitment to Indigenous health and the strong relationships and proximity to resources in the National Capital Region, the CIHRE presents a unique opportunity to:
Build on our existing strengths to develop a formal structure for harmonized strategic direction in Indigenous health research and education within all administrative units of the faculty.
Support faculty-wide Indigenous community engagement.
Enhance our ability to address the Faculty’s Social Accountability and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion objectives, and,
Position our faculty as a leader, a recognized ally, and an action-oriented partner both within the community and as an institution of higher learning.
The CIHRE is committed to being outwardly facing and responsive to the Indigenous communities that the Faculty of Medicine serves. For this key guiding principle, consideration has been given to ensure that voices of First Nations, Inuit and Métis community leaders have been heard at all stages of the Centre’s development. Continuous engagement and incorporation of the insights of additional stakeholders will be important to the Centre’s work.
During its initial mandate, the Centre will focus on five main priority areas:
- Governance and Engagement
- Research
- Education
- Indigenous Recruitment, Retention, and Capacity Development
- Clinical Practice
For more information about the Centre for Indigenous Health Research and Education, please contact us at: [email protected].