York University and United Way of York Region examine link between living conditions and health. Two funding announcements will move university research into communities.
L’Université York et United Way de la région de York examinent les liens entre les conditions de vie et la santé. L’annonce du financement de deux projets va permettre à la recherche universitaire de rejoindre les communautés
First posted by York University.
TORONTO, June 15, 2011 −If where you’re born, live and work − and the healthcare system you access − determines a lot about how healthy you’ll be, what can local governments and community agencies do to improve your well-being?
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has awarded York University and the United Way of York Region $93,000 to develop research initiatives that will examine how living conditions − the social determinants of health − affect health.
The funding, being announced today at York University’s fifth annual Knowledge Mobilization Expo at the Markham Convergence Centre, will be used for projects that will draw on the university’s strong interdisciplinary health research to respond to community needs and systemic social challenges identified by United Way of York Region.
“Social determinants of health are experienced where Canadians live − right in their communities,” said Ian Graham, vice-president of Knowledge Translation at CIHR. “University researchers and their partners in community health agencies, including those supported by the United Way, are critical to developing novel health services and health policies that have a direct outcome on the health of Canadians.”
“Collaborating and making research more accessible to our community partners and co-developing knowledge is a cornerstone of York University’s research enterprise,” said Stan Shapson, vice-president Research & Innovation. “For the last five years, we have collaborated with the United Way of York Region to connect researchers and graduate students with community and government organizations to find novel approaches that impact health and human services. York’s faculty members and our partners in community health agencies continue to work together to create innovative solutions that benefit the quality of life in our community.”
United Way of York Region is also announcing funding during the Knowledge Mobilization Expo. It is committing $150,000 through Change Inc., a social innovation incubator that it developed with York University to invest in new solutions to persistent social and health challenges faced by York Region residents. Based 
at the university’s research offices in York Region, Change Inc. was launched in October 2010. The United Way funding, through its Strength Investments will allow Change Inc. to provide socially-focused entrepreneurs, organizations and collaboratives with seed funding, physical space, shared administrative services and access to mentors, York researchers and graduate students. Continue reading ‘KMb press release / MdC communiqué de presse’
