JULY 2023 NEWSLETTER

Consortium News

AMR: A One Health Approach Seminar Series 2023

Having a comprehensive understanding of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and how to address its rising threats requires a holistic approach - referred to as One Health. This virtual seminar series is comprised of 20 sessions and provides various approaches to address AMR issues in a wider context that is important and practical for sustainable development of control strategies. For more information and to register please click here. 
 

Industry Engagement: Calling all Industry Members!

Are you an industry stakeholder that is interested in developing their AMR portfolio? The Consortium has many upcoming opportunities for collaboration, and is keen to engage with industry members to build on common interests and expand research opportunities. If you are interested in engaging with our members from an industry perspective, please reach out to Janelle Jiminez, AMR-OHC Manager at janelle.jiminez@ucalgary.ca.

Our Researchers in the News

Announcing the Vice-Provost and Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the UofA

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Tracy Raivio has been appointed as vice-provost and dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research at the UofA effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Raivio has held many meaningful leadership roles connected to graduate students, through which she has worked collaboratively to positively impact graduate education and the graduate student experience in areas that include program and professional development, mental health, and mentoring. Click here to read more.
 

IFT Fellows

The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Fellow designation is an honor bestowed upon an IFT member by their peers to recognize career excellence and significant service, leadership, and contributions to IFT and the profession. Jianping Wu is a professor and director of the Division of Food Science and Bioresource Technology at the University of Alberta. His research focuses on bioprocessing of food proteins for human health and protein sustainability. He has made numerous original contributions to the fields of bioactive peptides, egg science and technology, and protein sustainability, for which he was recognized with IFT’s 2021 Public Health Award. Click here to read more.
 

Order to clean up 17 sea cans full of medical waste highlights Alberta's biomedical trash troubles

Edmonton-based GFM Environmental Services is facing an enforcement order under the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act for improper disposal and storage of biomedical and hazardous waste. The order highlights challenges Alberta faces in disposing of a mountain of medical waste generated in the province each year. Click here to read the full article.
 

The Mysteries of the Maternal Microbiome

In the journey of understanding the microbiome, scientists have travelled far. Yet there is still much more to discover. How does microbial transmission from a mother to a child impact lifelong health of the child? When does a newborn baby begin to be colonized by bacteria? And, still one of the greatest debates in the field: when does a baby’s microbiome start to form? Click here to listen to the podcast. 

Publications

Assessing the appropriateness of community-based antibiotic prescribing in Alberta, Canada, 2017–2020, using ICD-9-CM codes: a cross-sectional study

In Canada, the vast majority of antibiotics are prescribed outside of hospitals by family doctors and other members of primary care teams. These community-written antibiotic prescriptions make up 90% of the total volume. Newly released research from Alberta asks how appropriate these prescriptions are. The question is worth asking because inappropriate use of antibiotics contributes to the rise of anti-microbial resistance which occurs when germs adapt, and become immune, to antibiotics. Click here to read the abstract and here for the full publication.
 

The effect of antibiotic usage on resistance in humans and food-producing animals: a longitudinal, One Health analysis using European data

This paper estimates the effect of antibiotic usage in humans and food-producing animals on the prevalence of resistance in zoonotic bacteria in both humans and animals. Using comprehensive longitudinal data from annual surveillance reports on resistance and usage in Europe, we find that antibiotic usage in food-producing animals and antibiotic usage in humans are independently and causally related to the prevalence of resistance in both humans and animals. Click here to read more.
 

A scoping review of factors associated with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter species infections in humans

Human infection with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter species is an important public health concern due to the potentially increased severity of illness and risk of death. Our objective was to synthesise the knowledge of factors associated with human infections with antimicrobial-resistant strains of Campylobacter. Click here to read more.

Upcoming Events

Funding Opportunities

NSERC Discovery Grants

The DG program supports ongoing programs of research with long-term goals rather than a single short-term project or collection of projects. These grants recognize the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances. DGs are typically 5 years in duration and are considered “grants in aid” of research, as they provide long-term operating funds and can facilitate access to funding from other programs but are not meant to support the full costs of a research program. For more info click here. 

Live Q&A session:
Aug 22 at 11am - Submission of an application (Click here to access)

NOI Deadline: Aug 1, 2023
Full Application Deadline: Nov 1, 2023
 

LevMax-Health: Tri-agency Spring 2023

This opportunity seeks high-quality applications from Alberta-based post-secondary academic institutions that have been submitted to Tri-agency (CIHR, NSERC, SSHRC) competitions and will advance Digital Health in Alberta. The four thematic areas of focus are talent; research; commercialization; health system transformation. This program will contribute to the project’s original Tri-agency application budget, up to a maximum of $750K for a maximum term of 3 years. For more information please click here.

Application Deadline: Aug 11, 2023
 

Project Grant: Fall 2023 and Spring 2024

This program is designed to capture ideas with the greatest potential for important advances in fundamental or applied health-related knowledge, health care, health systems, and/or health outcomes by supporting projects of research proposed and conducted by individual researchers or groups of researchers in all areas of health. Research areas are global health; Indigenous health research; randomized controlled trials; commercialization; interdisciplinary research; specific research areas. Total amount available for both Project Grant Competitions is $650M. For more information please click here.

Pre-application Program Deadline: Aug 17, 2023
Program Application Deadline: Sep 14, 2023
 

Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Awards (CHI)

The Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Award provides support for collaborative exploratory work that opens new ground for comprehensively assessing or mitigating the impacts of climate change on human health. Awards will be for a total of $375K to be distributed over 3 years. Three rounds of grants are planned and approximately three awards will be made in each round. For more information please click here.

Application Deadline: Aug 31, 2023
Full Application Deadline: Nov 1, 2023
 

SSHRC Insight Grants (IG) - October 2023

Insight Grants support research excellence in the social sciences and humanities. Funding is available to both emerging scholars and established scholars for research initiatives of two to five years. Insight Grants offer support for long-term research initiatives central to advancing knowledge. It enables scholars to address complex issues about individuals and societies, and to further our collective understanding. SSHRC welcomes applications involving Indigenous research, as well as those involving research-creation. Award amount for Stream A: $7-100K; Stream B: $100-$400K for 2 to 5 years. For more information please click here. 

UofC RSO Internal Deadline: Sep 28, 2023
 

NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable agriculture research initiative

This initiative will fund multidisciplinary, collaborative networks of researchers to address specific research objectives by initiating or accelerating the development of truly transformative solutions, and by mobilizing expertise, technologies and research in  social sciences, natural sciences and engineering and in areas that broaden the traditional network of agriculture research partners. Grant support from this initiative will range from $500K to $2M per year for 4 years. NSERC and SSHRC will provide support for 100% of the eligible costs of research. For more info please click here. 

Full Project Funding Deadline: Nov 8, 2023

Resources

•  Alberta Health Services
• Clinical Trials Office
• College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta (CPSA)
• Conjoint Health Research Ethics Board (CHREB)
• Covenant Health Research Centre
• Health Research Ethics Board of Alberta (HREBA)
• UCalgary Emergency Management
• University of Alberta Research Ethics Office (REO)
• University of Alberta and Health Research Ethics Board (HREB)
• University of Lethbridge Research Ethics & Safety