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TRSI Newsletter
June 10, 2026
2026 Applied Social Research Methods Institute (ASRMI) Pilot
In partnership with the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology (IIQM), the Community-University Partnership (CUP), the City of Edmonton (CoE), the Transforming Research for Social Impact (TRSI) Hub organized the first Applied Social Research Methods Institute from May 25th to 29th, 2026.
The Institute was attended by 29 learners from different disciplines and backgrounds who were supported by 25 instructors, project partners, and presenters over the week. The Institute included ten sessions that addressed the different stages of research, including research design, data collection, data analysis, and knowledge mobilization. Sessions focused on applied research design and the complexities of engagement, mixed methods research, grounding research in literature and data, survey design and data collection strategies, talking circles and arts-based methods, and dimensions of interviewing. The Institute concluded with a lively Knowledge Mobilization Fair with seven presentations that emphasized creative and collaborative strategies for knowledge mobilization.
(left) Elder Doreen Starr, who blessed the event, and talked regarding Indigenous Ways of Knowing, with graduate student assistant, Baiyu Su (right)
Learners also had the opportunity to contribute to two community-engaged research projects in partnership with the City of Edmonton. The first project focused on assessing the economic value of social infrastructure in Edmonton where students worked in teams to determine important indicators at the neighborhood-level. In the second project, students analyzed data from two surveys to assess accessibility and inclusion for 2SLGBTQIA+ Edmontonians with disabilities with an intersectional focus. These projects formed an important portion of the practical learning aspect.
On Day 2, Prof Cheryl Poth conducting a session on Mixed Methods Research
(left to right): Trudy Cardinal, charis auger, and, Janice Huber, who, on Day 4, conducted a session on Indigenous Arts Based & Conversation/Sharing Circles.
Overall, the Institute aimed to provide learners with an interdisciplinary sensibility that recognizes multiple ways of knowing and values mixed- and multi-method research while teaching skills to transform methods for community-driven social impact. In working toward this goal, the Institute connected a broad range of both instructors, practitioners, partners, and learners across universities and community, using a structure that foregrounded their diverse strengths. The TRSI team is currently evaluating learner, instructor, partner, and organizer experiences with the Institute with the goal of providing a longer Institute next summer.
2026 ASRMI organizing team: (standing, left to right): Leigh-Ann Waldropt-Bonair, Michelle Maroto, Sara Dorow, Jared Wesley, Baba Das; (sitting, left to right): Baiyu Su, Charlotte West, Karen Edwards. (Team members not in the photograph: Cheryl Poth, Gillian Lemermeyer, Oliver Rossier, Alison Fonseca).
Methods Seminar Series
Methods Seminar will continue in the Fall 2026 term
CIRCA
CIRCA will continue in the Fall 2026 term
Announcements / Events
Zoom event | RSVP
This presentation will share findings from a CIHR-funded, community-engaged research program (https://ccdproject.ca/) examining the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on immigrants and refugees in Ontario living with cancer and mental health and addiction (MH&A) conditions. Using population-based, linked administrative health data, the study highlights how intersecting social and clinical vulnerabilities—such as poverty, precarious employment, and systemic inequities—contributed to significantly worse COVID-19 outcomes among these populations, including higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission, and mortality. The research underscores how structural factors and pre-existing health conditions compound disadvantage during public health crises.
A key feature of this work is its strong community engagement approach. Through two multi-stakeholder think tank sessions, individuals with lived experience, service providers, policymakers, and researchers collaboratively interpreted findings and identified actionable strategies to address inequities. Recommendations include leveraging foreign-trained healthcare professionals as community health ambassadors, enhancing access to culturally responsive services, strengthening intersectoral collaboration, and improving health and digital literacy among newcomers. In partnership with Access Alliance, findings have been actively disseminated through community-based channels, ensuring relevance to policy and practice. This presentation will highlight how community voices shaped the research and informed practical solutions for more equitable health systems.
Presenters:
Dr. Mandana Vahabi, Professor & Women's Health Research Chair, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto
Marco Campana, Knowledge Mobilization and Social Action Coordinator, Access Alliance Multicultural Health & Community Services
Dr. Aisha Lofters, Associate Professor, Division of Clinical Public Health, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto
About the Event
June CoP: Community-Based Research Methods Training
Fri, Jun 12 | Virtual Event
June Topic: Community-Based Research Methods Training
In May of 2026, the Transforming Research for Social Impact (TRSI) Hub at the University of Alberta piloted an Applied Summer Research Methods Institute, providing methods training for graduate students and community practitioners through a set of modules that emphasize applied, multi-method, and community-driven research in an immersive experiential learning environment. In this CoP we'll hear from Michelle Maroto, a professor and graduate program director in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta, introducing the topic of community-based research methods courses and sharing some of their findings from evaluating this type of learning.
Participants will discuss best practices for developing learning opportunities for community-based research, and how community-based research methods can be integrated into post-secondary settings. The following questions will guide the participant discussion:
What are best practices for developing community-based research training in post-secondary institutions? What topics or content is most important to provide to students?
How can community-based research methods trainings be offered to community members and organizations to support community-driven research? What topics or content might be most valuable for community?
If you have had formal community-based research methods trainings or have taught community-based research, reflect on what worked/works well and what has/does not.
June Guest Facilitator: Michelle Maroto
Professor & Graduate Program Director, Department of Sociology, University of Alberta
To sign up for the Community of Practice, complete the sign-up form here: https://forms.gle/2cK45tD8tUQNnD6YA. By completing the form, you will receive the recurring calendar invitation for this and all upcoming Community of Practice Events.
SINGING BACK the BUFFALO -
screening and discussion with filmmaker Tasha Hubbard
JUNE 16, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Join us online or in person for a free viewing and discussion of the award-winning film Singing Back the Buffalo -- a visually rich exploration of humanity’s connections to buffalo and how their return to the Great Plains can usher in a new era of sustainability and balance.
We are honoured that filmmaker Tasha Hubbard will be at the event for a moderated discussion about the power of sharing research through film.
JUNE 16, 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Join ONLINE or IN PERSON in 2-210 Van Vliet Complex on the U of A Campus
(Zoom link, room information, and Calendar link will be sent to your email address after you REGISTER.)
Dr. Tasha Hubbard (Cree) is a filmmaker and an associate professor in the Department of English and Film and the Faculty of Native Studies at the University of Alberta. She is from Peepeekisis Cree Nation in Treaty Four Territory and has ties to Thunderchild Cree Nation in Treaty Six Territory. Her films, including nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up and Meadowlarks, have won multiple film and audience choice awards.
This event is held in conjunction with Thinking Qualitatively: Making a Difference and the Pushing Boundaries speaker series of the International Institute for Qualitative Methodology at the University of Alberta.
Summer Institute 2026 Registration is OPEN!
Click here to register.
Training for emerging researchers interested in conducting applied research with community partners. The Community-Based Research Summer Institute is an interactive five-day virtual training opportunity for emerging researchers to build capacity in conducting applied research with community partners. Gain knowledge in community-based research theory and apply your learning hands-on to your own current or potential community-based research along with peers in a collaborative and energetic learning environment.
This training is primarily intended for students from CBRCanada member organizations, including upper-level undergraduates, graduate (Masters or PhD) students, postdoctoral fellows, or recent graduates (within 2 years). Other researchers, such as new or early-career faculty or staff, who are interested in engaging community partners in collaborative, action-oriented research that addresses societal issues, are also welcome to participate on a case-by-case basis.
Bursary Opportunity for Undergraduate Students
The Community-Based Research Summer Institute is offering five bursary-supported spots for undergraduate students from CBRCanada member institutions who are conducting, or planning to conduct, a thesis or major research project in partnership with a community organization or community group. This opportunity is intended to support undergraduate students interested in developing practical skills and foundational knowledge in community-based research (CBR), with a focus on conducting ethical, action-oriented, and socially impactful research alongside community partners.
Application Deadline: June 26, 2026
Apply for an undergraduate bursary here: https://forms.gle/TJP76FXy6C2qwfCW9
To submit an activity or opportunity for inclusion in the newsletter, please contact trsihub@ualberta.ca
