Empowering Indigenous Communities: Dr. Diana Lewis awarded $3M CIHR Project Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Diana Lewis on receiving a five-year, $3 million Project Grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada’s federal health research funding agency, for her project Building the Autonomy of Indigenous Communities to Make their Data Work for Decision-Making. This initiative supports Indigenous communities in strengthening their autonomy over environmental decision-making processes that impact their health. Guided by Etuaptmumk (Two-Eyed Seeing) and Indigenous-led partnerships, the project collaborates with the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, Fort Chipewyan Métis Nation, Mikisew Cree First Nation, and Oneida Nation of the Thames. By leveraging baseline health data, these communities are shaping decisions on key environmental health concerns, including children’s well-being, industrial development impacts, and wildfire-related displacement. This research highlights the power of Indigenous-led initiatives in driving effective decision-making while building community leadership and research capacity.

The summary of this grant can be found on the CIHR website, Building the Autonomy of Indigenous Communities to Make their Data Work for Decision-Making