UBC has awarded over $745,000 to support community-university partnerships that benefit communities and advance collaborative research, teaching and learning throughout British Columbia.
Paid directly to community partners, CUES funding prioritizes reciprocal, inclusive engagement so all communities — especially those that have been historically, persistently or systemically marginalized — can benefit.
“Researchers often want to collaborate with the community but don’t always know where to start,” says Tara Taylor, the Board Chair of the Overdose Prevention Society. This year, the Overdose Prevention Society has received CUES funding to support their Overdose Prevention Peer Research Assistant (OPPRA) project, a collaboration between them, the SpencerCreo Foundation, Glasshouse Capacity Services Society, the BC Centre on Substance Use, and Dr. Stephanie Glegg, Assistant Professor at UBC’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Together, the partners intend to organize a symposium that will bring together UBC researchers and the Downtown Eastside community to discuss peer involvement in overdose response. “We hope the symposium will inspire future research that aligns with community priorities and be an opportunity for the community to give feedback and participate in research as advisors or peer research assistants.”
Quick facts about this year’s CUES Fund
- $747,270 awarded to 31 projects
- 81 total applicants with a combined ask of $1,923,195
- Five Indigenous community partners funded
- 13 faculties represented across Vancouver and Okanagan campuses
- Nine projects with student co-applicants
- Projects range from Vancouver Island (Duncan) to Metro Vancouver (Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, Delta, Maple Ridge), Fraser Valley (Abbotsford and Chilliwack) up to Lytton and Moberly Lake
Visit the Community Engagement website to read about this year’s funded projects.
Through Strategy 20: Co-ordinated Engagement, UBC is committed to working with diverse partners to listen, learn and develop shared values for effective engagement, and to reinforce a culture of reciprocity.