Partner Linkage Tool for the Team Grants: Funding Research for Evidence in School Food and Health (FRESH)
Overview
The Team Grants: Funding Research for Evidence in School Food and Health (FRESH) will generate actionable, high-quality evidence to inform and improve school food policy, programming and practice across Canada. This funding opportunity supports intersectoral, interdisciplinary research led by a tripartite leadership team composed of researchers, decision-makers and knowledge users.
This Partner Linkage tool is intended to facilitate connections between people (researchers, decision-/policy-makers, and knowledge users) across disciplines and sectors who are interested in collaborating to advance research on school food programs in the Canadian context, with a strong equity focus.
The Partner Linkage Tool includes information about people and organizations interested in partnering and their priorities of interest. This is not a mandatory tool. Information is provided on a volunteer basis and does not confer any advantages in the evaluation and funding of applications.
Are you a researcher, knowledge user or policy-maker / decision-maker looking to collaborate on the FRESH Team Grants? Fill out our Partner Linkage Tool online form. Your entered data and profiles will be posted soon, which will be updated regularly until the application deadline. Please share this tool with anyone you think may be interested in participating in this funding opportunity.
By completing and submitting this form, you are consenting to having your responses posted, and in the language in which it was submitted (English or French). You may request to have your information edited or removed at any time by sending a request to support-soutien@cihr-irsc.gc.ca.
Notice
The information is provided in the language in which it was submitted by the respondent.
| Contact Information | Participant Type | Funding Pool of Interest | Area(s) of interest | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carla Hilario Assistant Professor, UBCO carla.hilario@ubc.ca British Columbia |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee |
|
I am interested in collaborating on research projects with a focus on rural/remote comparisons. | |
| Amalia Santiago PhD student - University of Manitoba; Rady Faculty of Health Sciences;College of Community and Global Health santiaga@myumanitoba.ca Manitoba 4319991127 |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee | The Health, Well-Being and Socioeconomic Effects of SFPs | I am interested in promoting ethnocultural food security, which focuses on the "acceptability" dimension of food security. It is important to include the ethnocultural diversity of an individual if we want to advocate for food security. | As a PhD student, my training focuses on the mixed methods paradigm, which is vital in developing a survey tool in measuring the ethnocultural food security among newcomers. I also worked in a non-profit organization and have collaborated with various organizations and communities promoting food security. I am interested in being part of this endeavour to advocate for food security and all its dimensions, most especially acceptability, which is often neglected. I am emphasizing this dimension, considering that school-age children in Canada were born to ethnoculturally diverse families. Programs that promote food security should be inclusive, diverse, and equitable. |
| Hayford Mawuli Avedzi Clinical Assistant Professor hayford.avedzi@gmail.com Alberta 7806559302 |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee | The Health, Well-Being and Socioeconomic Effects of SFPs | While policy language emphasizes culturally appropriate and inclusive programming, there is little empirical research examining how well programs meet the needs of immigrant, racialized, religious minority, and Indigenous students. Evidence on stigma reduction, student dignity, and family engagement remains underdeveloped. | I possess undergraduate and graduate level training in human nutrition, food science and dietetics as well as PhD in public health. |
| Mavra Ahmed Faculty/Research Associate & University of Toronto mavz.ahmed@utoronto.ca Ontario |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee |
|
Understanding school food program design, delivery, implementation, procurement and participation to improve health, well-being and social outcomes, and inform equitable policies and evidence-informed practice. | My program of research focuses on school food environments, nutritional quality, policy evaluation, and values-based procurement, with extensive experience conducting school-based studies and working with government and community partners. I bring expertise in food and nutrition policy, mixed-methods research, policy analysis, dietary assessments, school food environment assessment, and stakeholder-engaged research. I have led multi-site projects involving schools, public health actors, and non-profit organizations, and have experience translating findings for policy and practice audiences. My work emphasizes equity, implementation realities, and decision-relevant evidence. I can contribute methodological expertise, study design support, measurement tools, and knowledge mobilization strategies. I can also provide in-kind contributions through existing datasets, validated audit tools, established partnerships with school food organizations, and trainee involvement. Where aligned with project needs, I can support grant development, protocol refinement, and cross-jurisdictional policy interpretation. I am particularly interested in collaborations advancing procurement, program models, and policy mechanisms that strengthen nutritional quality, feasibility, and equity within school food systems. |
| Benjamin Organ Researcher, Policy Lead - University of Toronto b.organ@utoronto.ca Ontario |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee |
|
School food policy; political and policymaking dynamics around school food; cross-jurisdictional analysis of school food systems; monitoring and evaluation; policy design across jurisdictions. | |
| Tine Parker District Administrator, SD 44, North Vancouver tparker@sd44.ca BC 6049033390 |
|
SFPs and First Nations, Inuit and Métis Students, Schools and Communities | TO provide daily snacks and lunches for all students at Squamish Nation School with focus on local, fresh and healthy food to see effects of learning and attendance for these students | Support food access for students, using local food and the attached high school facilities to make the food for the students. |
| Shawn Thir Executive director shawn@cecss.org BC 2502186258 |
|
The Health, Well-Being and Socioeconomic Effects of SFPs | the socio-economic effects of a universal SFP. | We have what we feel is an excellent universal SFP at our school. While we have lots of anecdotal evidence of its positive effects, we really don't have any concrete data. Is attendance better? Do kids do better in the classroom? Do they become more adventurous eaters? We want to know! We would love to track a number of students over a period of a few years to see that socio-economic effect for ourselves. How do we do this, and would it make sense to partner with researchers or an organization? |
| Daniel Sellen Professor, University of Toronto dan.sellen@utoronto.ca Ontario |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee |
|
Co-lead investigator on Feeding Kids, Nourishing Minds and Empowering Kids, Informing Policy projects at the Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, Temerty Faculty of Medicine | |
| Selina Mae Quibrantar Researcher, University of Toronto, Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition selina.quibrantar@utoronto.ca Ontario (ON) 6474661248 |
Researcher: early career, mid-career, senior, trainee |
|
Engaging youth, parents, and caregivers in co-designed research on holistic school food programs to identify priorities, cultural considerations, and policy directions supporting student well-being |
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