Kids Brain Health Network is strengthening knowledge and skills in Canada’s neurodevelopmental research community—including family participants in research—and among people serving families directly.

Aimed at students and researchers, KBHN’s national training program offers:

• Hands-on experience in KBHN’s research and implementation projects
• Workshops and webinars on topics that help to develop the core competencies that are crucial to KBHN’s mission and vision
• A rich variety of awards and internships
• Networking, learning and presentation opportunities at KBHN’s annual conference

Equipping the next generation of people working to improve the lives of children with NDDs will pay dividends for years to come. Current and former trainees are active in sectors that include academia, industry, healthcare and government.

This year, 207 trainees took part in KBHN-supported research projects and internships. 84 of them were new to the network. Meanwhile, KBHN launched a new partnership with The Centre for Implementation to teach trainees and investigators how to design, implement, spread and scale change. So far, 15 people have earned an Implementation Support Specialist certificate through this initiative.

Sponsored by KBHN and administered by CanChild, a 10-week online course called the Family Engagement in Research (FER) Course brings families and researchers together to learn from each other about how to build a productive partnership. By doing so, it aims to shape the future of Canadian neurodevelopmental research, anchoring it in the real-life needs of children and their families.

FER-course graduates who want to not only partner in research but also become FER leaders and advocates in their communities and organizations can proceed to the FER Leadership Academy, which uses small-group discussions, projects and mentorship sessions to help them build upon their skills.

Dr. Andrea Cross, Connie Putterman, Donna Thomson, Dr. Samantha Micsinszki, Rachel Martens,Alice Kelen Soper, Dr. Dayle McCauley, Dr. Kinga Pozniak, Sara Pot and Dr. Jan Willem Gorter, all of the CanChild research centre at McMaster University

This year saw 79 researchers and 58 family members complete the FER Course, while eight researchers and 13 family members graduated from Leadership Academy. Additionally, the FER Course began spreading beyond Canada’s borders, with a Dutch adaptation and a Netherlands-based cohort.

In November, KBHN CEO Nicola Lewis presented the FER Program to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research (SCSR), which highlighted it in a recent report as an example of how to unlock the benefits of citizen science in the field of health. Ultimately, the SCSR recommended that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research include civic engagement in the criteria for evaluating funding applications. This could help to amplify the voices of people who are facing health challenges and result in more inclusive and impactful research and policy.