Call for Applications: Community Fellowship
THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY IS NOW CLOSED.
The Public Engagement in Health Policy (PEHP) project is now inviting applications for Community Fellowships to commence in Summer 2023. The purpose of these Fellowships is to support community leaders, organizations or other teams to carry out short-term engagement-related activities that advance the goals of more inclusive health system and policy decision making. Five to ten Fellowships will be awarded.
What is the Public Engagement in Health Policy (PEHP) Project?
PEHP is an interdisciplinary project based out of McMaster University. Through catalyst funding from the Future of Canada Project (FCP), PEHP aims to strengthen health policymaking in Canada by providing a platform for interdisciplinary scholarship, education and leadership in public engagement. We seek to understand and address current challenges such as how health policymakers can respond to calls for more inclusive and transformative public engagement processes and how public engagement can be used to improve policy responsiveness and build trust between citizens and government. The project is led by Dr. Julia Abelson of the Public and Patient Engagement Collaborative at McMaster University, and is supported by a team of interdisciplinary scholars, students and staff from across the McMaster community. Team members bring expertise in the areas of community development, health policy, human rights and political science, as well as experience with a wide range of public and patient engagement and participatory research methods.
What is the PEHP Community Fellowship Program?
While much work is happening within the university to support public engagement for health policy, we know that the work that occurs within and by communities has the power to make significant impacts on the health and well-being of the groups they serve. Our goal through this Fellowship is to support community leaders, organizations or other teams to carry out innovative engagement-related activities that help to advance the goals of more inclusive public engagement in the health sphere. In addition to the funding provided for each Fellowship, the PEHP project team will be available to provide support to Fellows through consultations, facilitating shared learning, and amplifying Fellow-led initiatives.
What types of projects will be considered for a Fellowship?
Fellowships are intended to support individuals working with or for community-based health organizations to develop and implement a short-term project or activity (3-6 months). These activities should have an engagement focus, and as a result, should be led by or carried out in partnership with community members. Examples of potential Fellowship activities could include:
Catalyst projects to engage with new communities, to determine needs in a specific area or to find new and better ways to do something;
Extensions of current engagement activities that are coming to an end and do not have an identifiable source of on-going support;
Evaluations of existing engagement activities to identify areas for improvement or impact stories;
Knowledge translation or mobilization projects with the community (e.g., social media campaigns, videos, events).
Who is eligible for a Fellowship?
PEHP is committed to ensuring that the Fellowship opportunity is widely accessible. If you have questions about your eligibility for this Fellowship, please contact us at publicengagement@mcmaster.ca.
The Fellowship can be held by an individual representative or a team within the organization. Eligibility requirements include:
You are an employee, volunteer or partner of an eligible community-based organization in Canada;
You are affiliated with a not-for-profit organization with a primary purpose, presence and reputation for delivering health programs and services with a direct community benefit;
You are willing to attend a knowledge exchange event on the McMaster campus in Hamilton in Fall 2023 to share your learnings from your Fellowship activities; and,
Your organization supports this application and will provide support needed to execute the proposed activities.
Ineligible prospective applicants/activities include the following:
Individuals who are not formally affiliated with an eligible community-based organization;
Activities supporting or opposing any political party, and individuals who are currently an elected representative or candidate for public office; and,
For-profit companies.
**Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate a lack of capacity/funding to complete the proposed activities without the Fellowship opportunity.
How much funding is available and what are the timelines?
The Fellowship is for a maximum of $10,000 for a short-term project which could be completed by March 1, 2024. An in-person event to report on initial progress and learnings will be held in Fall 2023.
What are the application requirements?
A statement that briefly describes your/your team’s background, the organization you work with/for, the area of need you would like to address with your Fellowship, an indication of what activities you/your team would be undertaking, what you hope to gain from the Fellowship, and how you will engage with the community on this work – 1 page (single spaced)
A high-level project budget, including an itemized list of expenses to carry out the project (e.g., personnel supplies and services, etc.) – 1 page
Letter of support from the organization you are partnering with – 1 page
Applications should be submitted as a PDF or Word document to publicengagement@mcmaster.ca with a copy to Julia Rodgers (juliarodgers@mcmaster.ca) by July 31, 2023.
