2008 Summer Institute Report

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Theme and objectives of the 2008 Summer Institute
  3. Roles and responsibilities for 2008 Summer Institute
  4. Planning of the 2008 Summer Institute
  5. Evaluations and Recommendations
  6. Conclusion
  7. Appendix A
  8. Appendix B
  9. Appendix C
  10. Appendix D 

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1. Introduction

This report documents the activities associated with the CIHR 2008 Summer Institute on Health within Official Languages Minority Communities (OLMC). In addition to providing some historical background on this Summer Institute, this report describes how it was planned, organized, and carried out. The themes and objectives of this Summer Institute, the educational approach adopted, and the methods used to select the participants and the speakers are described as well. This report also includes the program for this event, details of the logistics (transportation, accommodation, meals), evaluations by the participants, and lastly, recommendations for holding a second CIHR Summer Institute on health in OLMCs.

1.1 Historical Background of the CIHR 2008 Summer Institute

The following brief historical background on the CIHR 2008 Summer Institute on Health within OLMC should help readers gain a better understanding of this event. In 2001, the report of the Consultative Committee for French-speaking Minority Communities to the federal health minister revealed that Francophones are in poorer health than their Anglophone counterparts and that there are significant disparities in access to health services.1 It also revealed that more than half the Francophones in these communities rarely, if ever, have access to health services in their language, and it hypothesized that there is a direct connection between language and the health of these populations. This problem was also observed in the English-speaking minority communities.

In October 2003, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages tabled a report titled Access to Health Care for the Official Language Minority Communities: Legal Bases, Current Initiatives and Future Prospects.2 In this report, the committee underscored the difficulties that official language minority communities (OLMCs) experience in accessing health services in their language of choice. That same year, the Consultative Committee for English-speaking Minority Communities found that the lack of scientific evidence providing a better understanding of the health challenges faced by both French-speaking and English-speaking minority communities was a major obstacle to the development of strategies for improving access to health services in both official languages.

In March 2004, CIHR held a workshop that brought together key stakeholders from both official language minority communities to discuss the needs for research on health in OLMCs, the gaps in such research, and the future opportunities to conduct research. The outcome of this workshop were to determine the priority research areas in this field and to develop an action plan for implementing the recommendations made at this workshop. One of the main recommendations was to increase the number of researchers taking an interest in this field.

In February 2006, the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS) and the Société Santé en français (SSF) officially requested that CIHR hold a Summer Institute focusing specifically on health within OLMCs. In July 2006, Dr. Denis Prud'homme, Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee for the CIHR Strategic Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities, presented a proposal to the members of the CIHR Scientific Council to obtain their support. In response to this request, CIHR, through this strategic research initiative, took the necessary steps for this event to be held in summer 2008.

The responsibility for organizing the Summer Institute was entrusted to the CIHR Strategic Research Initiative on Official Language Minority Communities, created in March 2004. The purpose of the OLMC research initiative is to create knowledge and facilitate its application so as to reduce health disparities between official language minority and majority communities in Canada. To that end, the OLMC initiative aims to promote the study of health determinants and the specific needs of the French and English-speaking minority communities, identify priority research areas, increase the number of researchers interested in these issues, and ensure that newly created knowledge is transmitted to researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders, with a view toward improving the health of OLMCs.


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2. Theme and objectives of the 2008 Summer Institute

From June 8 to 12, 2008, the first Summer Institute focusing specifically on OLMC health issues welcomed 65 attendees on the main campus of the University of Ottawa. This unique training experience brought together researchers, students, and community leaders from across Canada. The program included lectures on subjects pertaining to OLMC health and offered participants the opportunity to apply their newly acquired knowledge by developing a research proposal in workshops with the support of mentors, researchers, and community representatives.

The Planning Committee and the Scientific Committee for this event were chaired by Dr. Geneviève Rail, a Full Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of the Institute of Population Health at the University of Ottawa. Thanks to her determination and enthusiasm, the 2008 Summer Institute on Health within OLMCs was a great success.

2.1 General Theme

As its title suggests, the theme of the 2008 Summer Institute dealt with the needs for research on health in these linguistic communities. While taking into account the priority research areas that had been previously identified (determinants of health, governance, management and delivery of health services, and connections between language, culture and health), the Summer Institute's Scientific Committee chose objectives that were relevant to the participants.

2.2 General Objectives

The general objectives of the 2008 Summer Institute were to raise awareness regarding the health challenges facing OLMCs, to kindle participants' interest in OLMC health issues, and in so doing, increase the number of researchers working in this field, to promote the creation of multidisciplinary and inter-institutional research teams, and to contribute to the development of a national network of OLMC health researchers and of users of OLMC health research.

2.3 Specific Objectives

In addition, the Scientific Committee set the following specific objectives:

  • provide participants with a complementary training environment that respectfully takes into consideration the perspectives, tools, and approaches of various disciplines;
  • provide participants with the opportunity to interact with a number of established researchers and to be exposed to broader perspectives in the field of health in OLMCs;
  • give participants experience in designing research projects dealing with health in OLMCs.
  • increase participants' understanding of the various theoretical and methodological approaches used in OLMC health research projects;
  • provide participants with examples of qualitative and quantitative statistical approaches that can be used to analyze complex health issues within OLMCs;
  • increase participants' knowledge about conducting scientific research projects, including developing research protocols, submitting research grant applications, establishing research partnerships, and conducting interdisciplinary research, as well as about the challenges involved in working on multidisciplinary research teams;
  • encourage the development of new interdisciplinary research projects and research teams dealing with health in OLMCs;
  • give participants the opportunity to discuss OLMC health issues with the main decision makers and stakeholders in this field;
  • promote the creation of a Canadian OLMC health research network for emerging and future researchers who might not otherwise have the opportunity to develop professional relationships with colleagues who work in other training programs and other disciplines and are scattered across Canada.

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3. Roles and responsibilities for 2008 Summer Institute

The Chair of the 2008 Summer Institute, Dr. Geneviève Rail, was supported in her role by a Planning Committee, which co-ordinated the Institute, and by a Scientific Committee, which developed the program and selected the participants, mentors, and speakers for the Institute.

3.1 Role and Responsibilities of the Planning Committee

The Planning Committee was responsible for logistics for the Summer Institute. In addition
to participating in the meetings of the Scientific Committee, responsibilities of the planning committee were as follows:

  • help to develop the official announcement of the Summer Institute and the Call for Applications;
  • process and compile the applications received and send this information to the Scientific Committee;
  • manage correspondence with the applicants, including questions about transportation, accommodation, meals, transfers from the arrival point in Ottawa to the residence at the University of Ottawa, and the participants' biographies;
  • manage transportation and accommodation for speakers and presenters;
  • organize and manage reception of participants;
  • reserve meeting rooms (a multimedia room for plenary sessions, five smaller rooms for group working sessions, one room to serve as office for the Institute);
  • reserve spaces for health breaks;
  • reserve the required technical equipment and the services of a technician on-site for the duration of the Summer Institute (including the Associate Vice-President's Welcome Reception);
  • organize a system to provide participants with access to computers and the Internet;
  • reserve rooms in residence for Institute participants, speakers, and mentors through the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service;
  • manage the speakers' documents (PowerPoint presentations, personal records);
  • prepare the participants' kits;
  • negotiate with the University of Ottawa catering service and with restaurants and select menus for all meals, including the opening reception and health breaks;
  • choose and hire the musicians for the Associate Vice-President's Welcome Reception;
  • negotiate with Le Jazzy restaurant to have hours of service specifically tailored to the needs of the Summer Institute participants;
  • retain services for simultaneous interpretation services;
  • arrange for official documents to be translated;
  • manage activities during the Summer Institute;
  • participate in the evaluation of the Summer Institute;
  • participate in drafting the present final report on the Summer Institute.

The Planning Committee for the 2008 Summer Institute on Health within OLMCs was composed of the following persons:

  • Johanne Lapointe, Ph.D., Associate director, Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities, CIHR;
  • Geneviève Rail, Ph.D., Full Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa;
  • Valérie Bourbonnais, M.A, Projects Officer, Initiative for Official Language Minority Communities, CIHR;
  • Denise Lemire, M.A., Consultant, Documents Etcetera.

In addition to the countless e-mail messages, telephone calls, meetings, and visits to the University of Ottawa, there were three conference calls. Ms. Lemire organized these meetings, prepared the agendas, and followed-up with the appropriate actions. As a member of the Planning Committee, she provided ongoing professional support that contributed greatly to the success of this event.

3.2 Role and Responsibilities of the Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee was responsible for the Summer Institute's instructional content. More specifically, the committee members had to:

  • determine the overall themes for the Summer Institute;
  • identity the specific topics and objectives;
  • identify the instructional strategies most likely to yield the desired results;
  • develop the program;
  • determine the criteria for selecting participants;
  • choose the speakers and the mentors;
  • write the Call for Applications;
  • facilitate distribution of the announcement of the Summer Institute;
  • contribute to the draft of the present final report;
  • contribute to the evaluation of the Summer Institute.

Between October 2007 and April 2008, the members of the Scientific Committee held five conference calls to discuss the items for which they were responsible. In addition, they met in September 2008 to discuss the final report and the recommendations to be made for the next CIHR Summer Institute on OLMCs.

The members of the Scientific Committee brought a wealth of expertise to their assignment. They were as follows:

  • Geneviève Rail, Ph.D., Full Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa;
  • Denis Prud'homme, M.D., Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa;
  • Anne Leis, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, University of Saskatchewan;
  • Francine Desbiens, M.A., Research Coordinator, Consortium national de formation;
  • Norman Segalowitz, Ph.D., Director, Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University;
  • Eric Forgues, Ph.D., Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities, Université de Moncton.

3.3 Role and Responsibilities of the University of Ottawa

As host and principal partner for the Summer Institute, the University of Ottawa not only provided meeting rooms, accommodation and meals for the participants, speakers and mentors, but also contributed the expertise of some of its faculty members. Some professors and other experts affiliated with the University of Ottawa served as members of the Scientific Committee, speakers, and mentors. The Ottawa University communication team delegated a marketing specialist to coordinate the official announcement of the Summer Institute.

3.4 Role and Responsibilities of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)

In addition to providing most of the funding for the Summer Institute and establishing financial partnerships to cover some of its costs, CIHR co-ordinated this event. To manage the logistics for the Summer Institute and to support the Chair in carrying out her duties, CIHR also retained the services of Document Etc., a consulting firm that specializes in organizing events. Dr. Johanne Lapointe, Associate director for the CIHR Research Initiative on OLMCs, assisted by Valérie Bourbonnais, was responsible for carrying out this project.

3.5 Role and Responsibilities of the Communications Team

The communications team was responsible for four items: (1) the official announcement of the 2008 Summer Institute, during the 2ième Forum national de recherche sur la santé des francophones en situation minoritaire, (2) advertising the Summer Institute, (3) disseminating the Call for Applications, and (4) publicizing and holding the press conference for the official opening of the Summer Institute.

While the first activity was handled successfully, there were subsequent breakdowns in communication between the Planning Committee and the communication experts at the University of Ottawa. As a result of these problems, responsibility for the Summer Institute's communication plan was taken over by the Planning Committee, CIHR's communication experts, and the Secretariat of the Consortium national de formation.

3.6 Role and Contribution of the Funding Partners

The Summer Institute was made possible through the contribution of multiple partners. CIHR was responsible for soliciting financial support for the Summer Institute from organizations that have an interest in the health of OLMCs. The extent of the collaboration obtained is a testimony to the importance partners viewed this training opportunity to be. We take the opportunity to express our gratitude to our partners:

  • University of Ottawa;
  • Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Ottawa;
  • Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ottawa;
  • Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ottawa;
  • National Secretariat of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS);
  • University of Ottawa section of the CNFS;
  • University of Moncton section of the CNFS;
  • Laurentian University section of the CNFS;
  • University of Alberta-St-Jean Campus section of the CNFS;
  • Quebec Community Health and Social Services Network (RCSSS);
  • McGill University Training and Human Resources Development Project;
  • Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities (University of Moncton).

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4. Planning of the 2008 Summer Institute

4.1 Attendees

In total, 64 people from several different fields and provinces attended the 2008 Summer Institute in various capacities.

  • Participants (n=30): One of the Scientific Committee's first decisions was to encourage the participation of "future researchers", defined as students having completed the first year of their Master degree program, doctoral students, and postdoctoral fellows. Also eligible to participate were university-based researchers who had obtained their doctoral degrees, held a tenured or tenure-track position, within the preceding five years. A number of spaces were also reserved for researchers who held tenured positions and had recently decided to refocus their careers on health in OLMCs. Participants had to demonstrate a strong interest in research in this field. All 30 participants attended all of the sessions at the Summer Institute.
  • Researcher Mentors (n=10): Representing various regions of Canada, these experts were researchers who acted as mentors to the participants. Five of them also gave a lecture. They participated in all of the Institute's activities and guided the participants during the workshops sessions to develop research proposals.
  • Community Mentors (n=3): The community mentors came from across Canada and included community leaders and administrators who use research outcomes and make decisions about health programs and policies for OLMCs. These experts presented the particular needs of research users thereby providing a viewpoint based on the realities of these linguistic minority populations. They also worked with the small groups as they developed their research proposals.
  • Speakers (n=11): These experts from across Canada gave lectures on specific subjects. They participated in the day's activities and participants benefited from their expertise during the small group exercises.
  • Moderators (n=3): The moderators were recruited at the University of Ottawa to facilitate the sessions at the Summer Institute. Over the five days of the event, three people served as moderators. Their job was to present the speakers and to keep the day's activities on schedule.
  • Observers (n=2): Two CIHR representatives participated in all of the Summer Institute sessions as observers.
  • Members of the Planning Committee (n=4 +1): In addition to D. Lemire, (Document Etcetera), V. Bourbonnais, J. Lapointe and G. Rail, Zeina Abou-Rizk, a doctoral student in population health at the University of Ottawa, assisted the committee members during the Summer Institute. Except for Dr. Rail, the members of the Planning Committee did not stay in residence on the campus. They were attended all sessions and activities of the Summer Institute. An Institute office was set up in a room not far from the plenary meeting room, to securely store needed material and equipment.

In addition to her work prior to the start of the Institute, the Chair, Dr Rail, opened each day's sessions with a review of the preceding day and closed each day with a summery of the day's activities.

4.2 Budget

The budget to cover the costs of the Summer Institute was initially estimated at $110,000. The University of Ottawa, in partnership with some of its faculties, had committed to contribute $30,000, while CIHR had committed to contribute $80,000.

However, because there were fewer speakers than planned, the Summer Institute came in under budget, with a total cost of $92,007.13. In addition, several organizations with an interest in OLMC health made financial contributions that enabled CIHR to reduce its expenditure. The final breakdown of contribution was as follows: $30,000 from the University of Ottawa, $27,555.72 from various partners (the National Secretariat of the Consortium national de formation en santé; the Consortium's sections at the University of Ottawa, Laurentian University, the University of Moncton, and the St-Jean Campus of the University of Alberta; the Quebec Community Health and Social Services Network; the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities at the University of Moncton; and the McGill University Training and Human Resources Development Project), and $34,449.41 from CIHR.

4.3 Call for Applications

To reach as many people as possible who might want to attend the Summer Institute, the Scientific Committee issued a Call for Applications. This document was posted on the CIHR Web site (linked to the OLMC initiative) on Tuesday, February 19, 2008. To ensure that the Call for Applications would be distributed throughout Canada, copies were sent to the CNFS, to the members of the Summer Institute Scientific Committee, to the members of the CIHR Consultative Committee on OLMCs, and to the members of the Canadian Association of University Research Administrators (CAURA) for distribution to their respective networks. The Call for Applications was also posted on the web site of La Francophonie canadienne, which includes a network of 500 researchers, and published in the CNFS newsletter, Info-Recherche. The Call for Applications included the following information:

  • general information about the 2008 Summer Institute on Health within OLMCs;
  • the objectives of this Summer Institute;
  • the eligibility criteria and selection procedure;
  • information about the on-line application form;
  • the deadline for submitting applications (March 21, 2008);
  • details about registration fees, travel expenses, and accommodation expenses;
  • the URL link to access the application form on line.

4.4 Participants' Selection Process

In total, the Institute received 45 applications, all of them e-mailed. Nine (9) applicants
were Anglophone and 36 were Francophone residing in different provinces as follows: Alberta (4), British Columbia (2), Manitoba (3), New Brunswick (8), Nova Scotia (2), Ontario (19), Quebec (5), Saskatchewan (1), and Niger (1). All but two applicants were Canadian citizens.

The applicants held various academic degrees as follows: bachelor (9), master (17), doctorate (15), and postdoctoral degree (4).

The Scientific Committee evaluated the applications and selected 30 candidates based on predetermined eligibility criteria, the applicants' academic records, and geographic representation. The eligibility criteria guiding the selection process were as follows:

  1. The applicant had to be one of the following:
    • a graduate student enrolled in the second year of a master's program or in a doctoral or postdoctoral program, or
    • a researcher who had obtained his or her doctoral degree, or a tenured position, or a tenure-track position, within the preceding five years, or
    • an established researcher who wanted to refocus his or her research interests onto health in OLMCs.
  2. The applicant had to be either a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
  3. The applicant had to demonstrate a strong interest in research on health within OLMCs, meaning that the applicant's research interests or thesis topic had to include research on health in OLMCs.

In addition applicants had to provide the following information:

  • Academic training: a list of university degrees, year awarded, and awarding institution
  • Current situation: current degree, name of institution, name of program, number of years completed in the program, expected date of completion of the degree, source of funding for postdoctoral fellowship (if applicable)
  • Research interests: a brief description of the topic of the thesis or main current research project and list of other research interests or projects (200 words maximum)
  • Research accomplishments: complete references for the 5 most important completed or forthcoming publications or research projects (thesis, poster presentation, oral communication, research report, article, book chapter, or publication in the proceedings of a conference)
  • Other accomplishments: all other accomplishments in terms of research, training or teaching in a health-related field (200 words maximum)
  • Expectations: a brief description of the applicant's study plan and/or research career plan and the manner in which participating in the 2008 Summer Institute might help the applicant to reach these goals (200 words maximum)

The participants were selected in a two-stage process. First, the members of the Scientific Committee reviewed the applicants' files and sent a list of names to the Chair by e-mail by March 31, 2008. The Chair compiled the results and prepared two lists: a longer list of applicants unanimously endorsed by the committee members and a second, shorter list of applicants for whom a consensus had not been reached. The Chair then held a conference call on April 1, 2008 to discuss the second group of applicants and finalize the list of candidates who would be invited to attend the Summer Institute.

The final list was then sent to Mrs Lemire, who forwarded the decisions to the applicants on April 11, 2008. Successful applicants received an invitation and were asked to confirm their presence at the Summer Institute by e-mail. The applicants not selected received e-mail messages notifying them of the decision.

Of the 30 applicants invited, all accepted the invitation. They represented various parts of the country: Saskatchewan (1), Ontario (16), Quebec (5), New Brunswick (4), British Columbia (2), and Alberta (2).

4.5 Speakers' Selection Process

Developing the program and selecting the speakers for the Summer Institute took several months. While the first teleconference to discuss these subjects was held in late October 2007, the following one could not be held until March 13, 2008 due to busy schedules and substantial professional responsibilities. The second teleconference focused on the instructional strategy to be used, the topics to be included, and which speakers to invite. This discussion continued at subsequent teleconferences on March 25, April 1, and April 10, 2008. Final approval of the program was given on April 28, 2008. At this late date, it was more difficult to confirm the attendance of the selected speakers, since several of them had other commitments for the dates of the Summer Institute. Despite these difficulties, 17 experienced researchers with a strong commitment to health in OLMCs came to the Institute and gave lectures on relevant and interesting topics. (The name of the speakers and the title of their lectures are presented in Appendix A.)

4.6 Mentors' and Moderators' Selection Process

Once the program was finalized, invitations were sent to the researchers and community mentors. The moderators, all of whom were affiliated with the University of Ottawa, had been recruited several months earlier. These professionals did an outstanding job which was much appreciated by the participants and the organizing committee. We would like to acknowledge them here.

Gratien Allaire Researcher-Mentor - Director of the Institut franco-ontarien, Professor, Department of History, Laurentian University
Lise Dubois Researcher-Mentor - Canada Research Chair in Nutrition, Population Health and Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Community Medicine, University of Ottawa
Alexandre Dumas Moderator and Speaker - Professor, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa
Éric Forgues Researcher-Mentor - Professor, Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities, Université de Moncton
Michelle Fortier Researcher-Mentor - Professor, School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa
Joyce Irvine Community Mentor - Regional Consultant, Services de santé en français, Centre francophone de Toronto
Jo Ann Levesque Researcher-Mentor - Director, Office of Research Opportunities, Faculty of Arts, McGill University
André Lussier Community Mentor - Consultant, Société Santé en français
Denise Moreau Researcher-Mentor and Moderator - Professor, School of Nursing and Associate Director, Institute of Women's Studies, University of Ottawa
Michael Orsini Researcher Mentor and Moderator - Professor, School of Political Studies and Principal Investigator, Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa
Norman Segalowitz Researcher-Mentor - Professor, Department of Psychology, Associate Director, Centre for the Study of Learning and Performance, Concordia University
Gilles Vienneau

Community Mentor - Director, Société Santé et Mieux-être en français, New Brunswick

4.7 Transportation, Accommodation and Meals

Transportation: Since transportation costs were paid by CIHR, participants made their travel arrangements through the federally approved travel agency. The planning committee provided the travel agency with the names of all the participants. The participants contacted the agency themselves, either by e-mail or via a toll-free telephone number. The Institute also paid for the participants' transfers from the airport, train station or bus station to the University of Ottawa residence upon receiving a filled claim form and the appropriate receipts.

The participants were asked to arrive in Ottawa no later than 3:00 PM on June 8, 2008. They were strongly encouraged to stay until June 12, 2008, so that they could attend all of the Summer Institute activities. To ensure the presence of a member of the organizing committee at their arrival, the participants, speakers and mentors informed Ms. Lemire of the time of their arrival on the university campus.

Accommodation: Accommodation arrangements were made by Ms. Lemire in collaboration with the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service. The accommodation reserved and paid for by the University of Ottawa consisted of four nights stay (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) at a University of Ottawa residence. Each participant shared an apartment with another participant. Each apartment had two bedrooms (with a desk and a television in each), a shared bathroom and kitchenette, and a telephone. The speakers and mentors stayed on the "hotel" floor of the residence.

Meals: Ms. Lemire selected all the menus and suggested the locations of the off-campus dinners. Eleven meals were provided, starting with dinner Sunday, June 8 to breakfast June 12, 2008. Except for the Associate Vice-President's Welcome Reception (June 9), the dinner cruise on the Rideau Canal (June 10), and the farewell dinner at the ByWard Market (June 11), all of the meals were taken buffet-style at Le Jazzy restaurant, located not far from the meeting room for the plenary sessions. Allergies and special dietary requirements were taken into account when the menus were selected. Throughout the Summer Institute, there were morning and afternoon health breaks, at which a variety of healthy foods and beverages were served.

4.8 Instructional Strategy

Language: The language used during the 2008 Summer Institute was mainly French. The speakers could lecture in the language of their choice. Simultaneous interpretation service provided by Public Works and Government Services Canada's Translation Bureau was available during the plenary sessions throughout the Institute. Correspondence with participants, the Call for Applications, the program, and the documents distributed during the event were available in both official languages. For the workshops, participants were grouped according to their preferred language of work.

Meeting rooms and equipment: Ms. Lemire rented all the meeting rooms and audio-visual equipment through the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service. For the plenary sessions, a large amphitheatre was reserved, which had enough room to accommodate the simultaneous interpretation booth. For the small-group workshops, five smaller meeting rooms were reserved.

Learning objectives: While the Summer Institute had its own objectives, the organizers also wanted to meet the participants' expectations. When the participants registered for the Institute, they were invited to identify their personal learning objectives. The Scientific Committee took these objectives into account when it developed the program and wrote the guidelines for the researcher-mentors, community mentors, and speakers. During the first plenary session, the participants were encouraged to be proactive, creative and thoughtful throughout the event, so as to enhance their learning experience.

Summer Institute sub-themes: When registering participants were also invited to identify their research interests, which the Scientific Committee took into account when selecting the speakers for the event. Moreover, in order to maximize networking and facilitate learning, the participants were grouped according to their shared research interests, into five groups of six participants. These groups dealt with the following five sub-themes:

  • Promotion of health and literacy;
  • Health and immigration, language;
  • Seniors' health;
  • Mental and sexual health, psychotherapy;
  • Health policy, access to health services in French.

Training sessions: The Summer Institute included several different types of sessions and encouraged a participatory learning approach to keep the students actively involved. The six different types of sessions offered at the Institute were as follows:

  1. Small-Group Workshops. Throughout the Summer Institute, there were small-group workshops that enabled the participants to connect theory and practice. The researchers and community mentors participated in these workshops and offered guidance. To offer an opportunity to apply newly acquired knowledge, each group had to develop a research proposal.
  2. Tool Box Sessions. These lectures were aimed at familiarizing the participants with methods of conducting research on health in OLMCs (stating the research problem, ethical issues, grant applications, applying knowledge).
  3. OLMCs and Health 101. This series of lectures covered current knowledge in the field of health in OLMCs. The subjects included the history of research on health in OLMCs, OLMCs as a key concept, the definition of "Francophone", the three main areas in OLMC health research, the inclusion of OLMCs in the research design, and minority language issues (for example, the Official Languages Act, rights and duties of OLMCs, and issues of vulnerability due to minority status).
  4. Speaker Series. This series of presentations on health in OLMCs dealt with topics corresponding to the participants' research interests.
  5. Theoretical and Methodological Issues. This series of lectures focused on basic concepts, theoretical models, and theoretical and methodological challenges involved in research on health in OLMCs.
  6. Spotlight Session. This was an interactive session in which participants were given the opportunity to speak with a young researcher about his career choices, his motivations, his successes, and the challenges he had encountered. The young researcher discussed subjects such as grant applications and copyright of journal articles. This session injected a more personal element into the overall instructional approach.

4.9 Program

In developing the program for the Summer Institute, the Scientific Committee and the Institute Chair took great care to offer several types of instructional activities and to vary the method of the presentations to accommodate differences in the participants' learning styles (visual versus verbal) and to help them to acquire and apply new knowledge. The program enabled the Summer Institute to achieve its objectives, and in this respect, it is fair to say, "mission accomplished". (Appendix A)

4.10 Participants' Kits

Each participant in the Summer Institute was given a yellow and black bag with the logo of the Summer Institute and those of its two main partners (CIHR and the University of Ottawa). In addition to information about CIHR and its Strategic Research Initiative on OLMCs and programs offered at the University of Ottawa, the kit contained two pens (IRSC & CNFS - Ottawa), one highlighter, one paper pad, one leather document holder (CNFS- Univ. Ottawa), one cardboard folder (CNFS - Univ. Ottawa), the journal Perspective (Univ. Ottawa), the OLMC Summer Institute program, information on the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), the Quebec Community Health, the Social Services Network (CHSSN), the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities at the University of Moncton, information (ICRML), and the McGill University Training and Human Resources Development Project, as well as tourist information for the city of Ottawa.



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5. Evaluations and Recommendations

The Summer Institute was evaluated in several ways. On the last day, participants completed one evaluation in small groups and another in plenary session. They also made recommendations regarding follow-up in the future. Two weeks later, participants were asked to respond, by email, to a detailed questionnaire on various aspects of the Summer Institute. Finally, the Planning and the Scientific Committees evaluated the activity and made recommendations to enhance the next CIHR Summer Institute on Health within OLMCs.

5.1 Evaluations by the Small Groups

During the last session of the Summer Institute, the Chair asked each small group to fill out a short questionnaire in which the group could award "sunflowers" (the emblem of the Summer Institute) to highlight positive aspects of their experience at the Summer Institute and make suggestions to improve future OLMC Summer Institutes.

  • Sunflowers: Participants awarded sunflowers mainly for a) the quality of the organization (planning, the organizers, the welcome/reception, and the food), b) the relevance of the group activities (small-group workshops, the generosity of the mentors and the researchers, and the networking opportunities), and c) the expertise of the speakers (variety of topics).
  • Suggestions: The suggestions concerned mostly the meeting rooms and future follow-up to the Summer Institute. These suggestions included: a) having more time for small-group sessions, b) having the small groups meeting rooms closer to the plenary meeting room, and c) ensuring follow-up which included the need for mentoring, creating a research network, and a journal on health in OLMCs.

The number of sunflowers and suggestions received from the groups indicates that the groups were equally satisfied with their training experience. For details of the small group evaluations, see Appendix B.

5.2 Recommendations by Participants at the Final Plenary Session

At the final plenary session of the Summer Institute, the Chair asked the participants what they would recommend as follow-up to the Summer Institute. Both the participants and the mentors had much to suggest in order to meet the participants' needs. Their recommendations were subjected to a content analysis and then classified into five categories as follow:

  1. Networking
    • Compile a list of names of young researchers who want to get involved in OLMC research.
    • Conduct a study on the needs of young researchers.
    • Develop a community of practice consisting of researchers and community partners in the field of health in OLMCs.
    • Develop a ListServ to communicate with one another once the Summer Institute is over.
    • Create a network of students and researchers for Western Canada.
    • Connect our network to structures that already exist (such as RIFS), the Portail de la recherche sur la francophonie canadienne, the list of researchers on the web site of the Consortium national de formation en santé (CNFS), and the site of the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities (CIRLM).
    • Create a list of existing resources and Websites.
    • Invite community practitioners to help develop networking tools.
    • Once the network is created, use it to keep in touch and to recruit people to help organize the next Summer Institute three years from now.
  1. General Training in Research
    • Offer workshops on writing scientific papers.
    • Offer workshops on writing grant applications.
    • Hold other Summer Institutes and mini-institutes in various regions of Canada.
    • Design workshops that can be broadcast by videoconferencing.
    • Create alliances or initiatives with partners, such as the Société Santé en français (SSF), the CNFS, and CIHR, to hold research training events (for instance, at the next CNFS symposium, or organize workshops).
    • Approach other universities to host the next Summer Institutes (Western Canada was suggested).
  1. Personalized mentoring / coaching
    • Establish a list of Francophone mentors.
    • Establish an informal process in which experienced researchers review drafts of journal articles and grant applications.
    • Create a group of research development officers who would go to various academic institutions to provide more personalized support (writing articles, grant applications).
    • Establish informal groups whose members could provide feedback on drafts of research protocols.
  1. Research start-up fund
    • Develop a start-up fund to bring together researchers interested in specific topics and to enable them to develop relevant research projects.
    • Develop a start-up fund to enable young researchers to start their research projects (especially researchers working in universities that do not provide such funds).
  1. Publication
    • Establish an indexed, peer reviewed, French-language journal focusing on health in OLMCs.
    • Support translation from French to English to facilitate publication in English-language scientific journals.
    • Encourage publication of articles in existing journals (such as Francophonies d'Amérique, Franco-canadiens de l'Ouest and Les cahiers Franco Ontariens) and /or develop a special issue on health in OLMCs within these journals.
    • Establish a peer-reviewed electronic journal.
    • Develop methods of publication for practice communities to keep researchers and community practitioners informed.

5.3 Participants' Individual Evaluations (sent via email)

Two weeks after the Summer Institute, the organizing committee sent an evaluation survey to all participants. In total, 28 of the 30 participants completed and returned the questionnaire. For each item, participants indicated their degree of satisfaction on a scale of 1 "Very Dissatisfied" to 5 "Very Satisfied". For all of the items, the majority of the participants indicated that they were either "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied". Participants awarded very high ratings to the items in Section 4 of the questionnaire. For instance, all of the respondents were "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the choice of speakers and topics, and 96% indicated they were "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the contents of the lectures. Finally, 93% of the respondents were "Satisfied" or "Very Satisfied" with the teaching approach used. The detailed results of this evaluation appear in Appendix C.

5.4 Evaluation and Recommendations by the Planning Committee

The Planning Committee met on June 24, 2008 to discuss successes and challenges in organizing the 2008 Summer Institute. The Planning Committee concluded it was very satisfied with the Summer Institute. Though there were some organizational challenges in the months and days preceding the event, the Planning Committee succeeded in solving them and the event went off very well, to the great satisfaction of the participants, mentors and speakers. The following pages summarize the Planning Committee's evaluation of specific aspects of the 2008 Summer Institute on health within OLMCs, along with their recommendations for the next one.

Call For Applications

Evaluation

  • The Call for Applications process went very well. It was distributed to all Francophone academic institutions in minority settings, to government and non-government organizations, and to researchers working in OLMC health with enough time for people to respond.
  • The limited number of participants (30) was sufficient to meet the objectives of the Summer Institute and to allow the desired networking while staying within the budget for this event.
  • The participants came from various geographic regions.
  • The participants were genuinely interested, and none dropped out.
  • The on-line application form captured pertinent information to help the
    Scientific Committee select the participants.
  • The personal information form for participants and speakers was useful to obtain information such as arrival and departure time, requests for accommodation, and food allergies.

Recommendations 

  • Maintain the criteria established for the Call for Applications, the on-line form and the personal information form. For the complementary document, continue to use it, but prepare and send it two weeks before the Summer Institute instead of a few days before.
  • Once the application form has been submitted, ensure that a message acknowledging receipt by CIHR is visible long enough for the applicant to have time to read it.
  • Increase the number of applications by promoting the Summer Institute for a longer period of time prior to the event.

Program

Evaluation

  • The Planning Committee was satisfied with the program. Although the Scientific Committee carefully selected the speakers, securing their services turned out to be an arduous task for the Chair.
  • Once the speakers had accepted the invitation, communication with the speakers to discuss the focus of their lecture was very efficient.
  • The documentation supplied by the speakers was most relevant.
  • The wide variety of expertise and range of topics covered by the speakers met the expectations of the Scientific Committee and the participants.
  • The topics of the lectures had practical applications that were relevant for the researchers in attendance.
  • The lectures / presentations were interesting and rich in content.
  • The Summer Institute provided a great experience in multidisciplinary teamwork, with a good combination of theory and practice.
  • The printed program was helpful, and its format was convenient.
  • The networking activities were successful.
  • The Associate Vice-President's Welcome Reception was a success.
    • The buffet was varied and nicely presented and the participants enjoyed the chocolate fountain.
    • Mrs Sylvie Lauzon and Martine Mercier contributed greatly to the evening's success through their participation and their support in organizing it.
  • The participants really enjoyed the dinner cruise on the Rideau Canal. The enchanting views and the participants' enthusiasm made this networking activity a success. Having the boarding dock close to the University of Ottawa was an asset.
  • The closing dinner at the Empire Grill restaurant in the ByWard Market also was a success. The participants walked to the venue and the meal was excellent.
  • The participation certificates and farewell gifts, handed out at the end of the event, were appreciated.
  • Once the program was established, there was little time left before the start of the Summer Institute to recruit the speakers and mentors.
  • The researchers and speakers who accepted the invitation were researchers and speakers who are members of OLMCs or that have research interests in this field.

Recommendations

  • Add more time to explain the activities.
  • Add more time for the small-group workshops.
  • Program
    • To speed up the process of developing the program, the Chair of the Summer Institute should prepare a preliminary draft that could then be sent to the members of the Scientific Committee for their comments and suggestions.
    • The Chair should have some flexibility in finalizing the program, so that he or she does not have to constantly consult the Scientific Committee.
    • Start and finish developing the program early on to facilitate the recruitment of speakers (no later than December of the year before the Summer Institute, if it is held in June).
    • Recognize the qualifications and talents of researchers and speakers who come from OLMCs or have research interests in this field. It is harder to recruit researchers who work outside this field.
    • Eliminate participants' photos from the program, because it is more difficult to assemble the document and makes it harder to electronically send it to committee members for their feedback and approval.
    • If possible, print the program sooner.
    • Do not make photocopies of the speakers' PowerPoint presentations if they are available on CD once the Summer Institute is over.
    • With the authors' consent, presentations could be posted on the CIHR-OLMC initiative's Web site.

  • Associate Vice-President's Reception
    • Ensure that the size of the reception room is appropriate for the number of expected guests.
    • Allow time for participants to network before and after the dinner and official ceremony.

Logistics (University of Ottawa)

Evaluation

  • University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service
    The weakest point of the Summer Institute was the liaison with the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service.
    • Though the request to reserve meeting rooms and guestrooms for the speakers, mentors and participants was sent to the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service on October 4, 2007, several months passed before the file was assigned to an officer.
    • The officer assigned to this file seemed overwhelmed with her workload and by mid-May 2008, the reservations still had not been confirmed. In addition, a few days before the start of the Summer Institute, the organizers discovered that the guestrooms for the last night of the Institute had not been reserved as requested.
    • The eight-month delay between the time reservations were requested and the time they were confirmed created some tense situations for the planning committee.
    • Communication with the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service was difficult.
  • Plenary meeting room and meeting rooms for small-group workshops
    • The meeting rooms used for the small-group workshops were too far from the meeting room used for the plenary sessions.
    • The plenary meeting room was a bit too large for the number of participants.
  • Office space
    • The room made available to the Institute organizers to set up an administrative headquarter was inadequate. It was damp, dark and configured like a theatre, which left little usable space.
    • Unknown to the organizers, the doors to the administrative room were automatically unlocked every morning. Mrs Lemire had to repeatedly request that the room be locked.
    • On June 8, 2008, the cleaning crew erased the detailed action plan related to the Summer Institute that the organizers had written up on the blackboard.
  • Residence guestrooms
    • The participants were assigned two to a suite in the new residence on the University of Ottawa campus. This was designed to encourage networking and to give participants roommates with whom they might share professional interests. Some participants developed friendships during the Institute, and others developed joint research projects.
    • The accommodations were satisfactory.
    • One incident was reported to the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service for which the participant received a letter of apology and financial compensation from the University of Ottawa for his inconvenience.
  • Meals
    • The meals were varied, and the quantity of food was sufficient.
    • The participants greatly appreciated the choice, variety, and quality of the meals.
  • Equipment
    • Because the plenary meeting room was a multimedia room, it contained all of the equipment needed for PowerPoint presentations.
    • While a microphone was missing on the first morning, it was delivered and installed during the following lunch hour.
  • Parking
    • Cars were parked in another building (Brooks) that closed its doors at 5:00 PM. Participants who wanted to use their cars in the evening had to leave the sessions early to retrieve them.
    • Organizers negotiated with the University to obtain passkeys to solve the problem of access to participants' vehicles.

Recommendations

  • Reception
    • Maintain a reception table in the residence lobby.
    • Arrange for participants to receive their room keys directly from reception at the residence.

  • Residence guestrooms
    • If possible, try to obtain early availability (noon at the latest) for a certain number of guestrooms for participants arriving in the morning, so that they can settle in and rest before the evening's activities.
    • Obtain written agreements as early as possible for the reservations for meeting rooms and residence rooms, to reduce problems later on.

  • Health breaks
    • As the Summer Institute progresses reduce the amount of food offered during the breaks.
    • Reduce the size of the portions of food offered at the health breaks.
    • Have a few utensils in case they're needed.

  • Administrative offices
    • During the event, have an administrative office large enough to hold a few tables. This office serves as a meeting place and storage for the planning committee.
    • Provide at least one microphone in the plenary meeting room, for questions and comments from the participants. The interpreters need to hear what is being said in the room if they are to translate it.

  • Parking
    • Ask the participants ahead of time who will need a parking space.
    • Make sure to obtain enough passkeys when the rooms are reserved.

Interpretation services

Evaluation

  • The interpretation service was flawless, and the quality of the interpretation was impeccable. It should be noted that only three speakers submitted their PowerPoint presentations long enough prior to the Institute to have them translated and distributed to the interpreters.
  • Providing the interpretation service was definitely worthwhile. One participant used the headphones for all the French presentations and lectures, while a few people used them during the English ones.

Recommendations 

  • Try to obtain the speakers' presentations ahead of time to allow translation of the documents.
  • Reserve a plenary meeting room large enough to accommodate the interpreters' soundproof booth, which must hold two tables, two chairs, and accommodate two interpreters at the same time.

Partnership with the University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa and CIHR signed an agreement to share costs for the Summer Institute.

  • Although the President of the University and the Deans of the four faculties approved the disbursement of funds, there was a long delay before the amounts were transferred internally to the appropriate account.
  • There was a delay in billing for certain services provided by the University of Ottawa Housing and Conventions Service prior to the event, a certain amount of CIHR funds that had been earmarked for the Summer Institute could not be used.
  • Associate Vice-President's Reception:
    • Invitations to attend the official launch of the Summer Institute were sent to the President and the Vice-President, Research of the University of Ottawa. Unfortunately, due to University graduation neither could attend.
    • Mrs Sylvie Lauzon, Associate Vice-President, graciously hosted the University of Ottawa reception.
    • The delay in securing a date for the reception negatively impacted the number of people attending the reception.

  • Communications:
    • As stipulated in the agreement between the University of Ottawa and CIHR, the Chair of the Summer Institute requested the assistance of her Faculty's communications officer and the university's communications office. Unfortunately, miscommunication between the Planning Committee and the communication experts at Ottawa University resulted in a lack of action.
    • To solve this situation, the CIHR management team asked CIHR's own communication department to take over. Mrs Véronique Perron, and her colleagues, wrote a notice to the media and distributed it via a national network. As a result, several media outlets across the country took an interest in the event, and conducted telephone interviews with Dr. Rail and Dr. Lapointe.

Recommendations

  • Partnerships:
    • Closely monitor progress following written and verbal agreements.
  • Associate Vice-President's Reception
    • Invite senior officials (ministers, commissioners, etc.) well in advance of the date of the reception.
  • Communications
    • Contact the host university's communications department at the very start of the project to inform them about the stages, objectives, and key messages of the Institute.
    • Establish a relationship between communications experts at CIHR and at the host university to manage communications effectively.
    • If possible, combine the official opening of the Summer Institute with other news of more general interest (for example, the launch of a journal, or an announcement of research funding or the creation of a network), to justify a press conference.

5.5 Evaluation and Recommendations by the Scientific Committee

The Scientific Committee was responsible for developing the program, choosing the speakers, and selecting the participants for the Summer Institute. While the selection process went smoothly, developing the program proved harder than expected.

General evaluation of the work of the Scientific Committee

  • All Committee members had very busy schedules which made it difficult to plan conference calls.
  • Once the program was finalized, there was little time to recruit the speakers and mentors before the start of the Summer Institute.
  • The researchers and speakers who accepted the invitation were researchers and speakers who come from OLMCs or have research interests in this field.

Recommendations regarding the work of the Scientific Committee

  • Though it is important for the Scientific Committee to include people with the necessary expertise, it is also important to have committee members who are a bit more available.
  • Consider including more representatives of OLMCs.
  • To speed up the process, the Chair should prepare a preliminary program that could then be sent to the members of the Scientific Committee for their comments and suggestions.
  • The Chair should have flexibility in designing the program, so that he or she must not constantly consult the Scientific Committee.
  • Start and finish planning the program sooner to facilitate recruitment of speakers (no later than December of the year before the Summer Institute, if it is to be held in June).
  • Recognize the qualifications and talents of researchers and speakers who come from OLMCs or have research interests in this field.

Evaluation based on the objectives of the 2008 Summer Institute

  • Provide participants with a complementary training environment that treats the perspectives, tools, and approaches of all disciplines with respect.
    • This objective was achieved in as much as there were lectures on a variety of perspectives and disciplines, different tools and methodological approaches.
  • Provide participants with the opportunity to interact with a wide range of researchers.
    • This objective was achieved. One of the Summer Institute's greatest assets was the much sought opportunity it provided to meet and share information and knowledge with experienced and new researchers and community mentors.

  • Give participants the experience in designing research programs.
    • This objective was partially achieved. The Summer Institute gave participants the opportunity to conceptualize a multidisciplinary research project. All of the participants, researchers, and mentors greatly appreciated this exercise.
    • No time was provided for designing a research project to be conducted individually.
    • Only two lectures were given about grant applications (application of knowledge and targeted program).

  • Increase participants' understanding of the various theoretical and methodological approaches.
    • This objective was partially achieved. Only one lecture focused on the importance of theoretical contexts while two others addressed methodological approaches.

  • Provide participants with various examples of qualitative and quantitative research approaches.
    • This objective was achieved. Several speakers presented results of quantitative studies, while one presented the results of a qualitative analysis.

  • Enable participants to learn about the scientific method and the planning and submission of funding applications.
    • Given the duration of the Summer Institute, this objective was partially achieved. The presentations by Mr. Alexandre Dumas (University of Ottawa) and those of Mrs Andrea Smith and Dr. Nathalie Gendron from CIHR, focused on best practices to use when applying at CIHR.

  • Encourage the development of new interdisciplinary partnerships and research projects.
    • The 2008 OLMC Summer Institute generated synergy that resulted in several initiatives being launched. Many participants await positive results from the Summer Institute.
    • Following the Summer Institute there was an increase in grant applications at CIHR, some by Summer Institute's participants.

  • Give participants the opportunity to discuss OLMC health issues with the main decision makers and stakeholders in this field.
    • This objective was achieved and was one of the strengths of this Summer Institute.

  • Encourage the creation of a Canadian OLMC health research network for emerging and future researchers.
    • This objective was achieved. Following the Summer Institute, several initiatives were undertaken to establish such a network. This project cannot be carried out without resources, but the participants have clearly indicated their enthusiasm for maintaining these networks.

Recommendations

  • In light of the results obtained, it is desirable to hold a Summer Institute on OLMCs every two or three years.
  • Establish a sub-committee including representatives of CNFS, CIHR and SSHRC and Summer Institute participants, to develop a plan for implementing some of the recommendations made by the participants.
  • Take the participants', the Planning and Scientific committee's evaluations when planning future events.

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6. Conclusion

In light of the evaluations of the CIHR 2008 Summer Institute by its Planning Committee, its Scientific Committee, and its participants, we can conclude that this event was a resounding success. Despite some unforeseen organizational challenges, these two committees succeeded in carrying out their responsibilities, and everyone involved in the Institute (participants, community mentors, speakers, researcher-mentors and observers) benefited from the experience. Moreover, the Scientific Committee should be proud to have developed such a relevant, high-calibre scientific program that achieved many of its objectives.

As the photo below illustrates, the people who took part in the Summer Institute on OLMCs ended their stay with a smile on their lips and a certain pride in belonging to a community of researchers who had found the means to get together, get to know one another, exchange ideas, and most importantly, lay solid foundations for the advancement of research on health in OLMCs.


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Appendix A: Program for the 2008 Summer Institute on Health within OLMCs

Hour Sunday, June 8
1pm-5:30pm University of Ottawa residences
Welcome and registration
6pm–7pm Le Jazzy Restaurant
Welcome reception
Start of the Summer Institute and informal reception (BBQ)
7pm-8pm Le Jazzy Restaurant
"Speed meeting"  activity
Master of Ceremonies:
Alexandre Dumas, Annie Pouliot and Geneviève Rail
(Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa)
  Monday, June 9
7am-8:15am Le Jazzy Restaurant
Breakfast
8:30am–9am Plenary room
Opening
Words of welcome, preview of the day, introductions
9am–9:30am Session 1
Reflections on the learning objectives
Moderator :
Denise Moreau
(School of Nursing and Institute of Women's Studies, University of Ottawa)
9:30am–10:30am Session 2
OLMC and health 101: general contextualization
Speaker:
Hubert Gauthier
(President, Société Santé en Français)
10:30am-10:45am Health Break
10:45am–12pm Session 3
OLMC and health 101: health and Quebec anglophones;
Health and francophone minority
Speakers:
Jennifer Johnson
(Executive Director, Quebec Community Health and Social Services Network)
"Quebec's English-speaking Community in 2007"
Anne Leis
(Department of Community Health and Epidemiology,
University of Saskatchewan)
"The health of Francophones in a minority situation"
  Monday, June 9
12pm-1:30pm Le Jazzy Restaurant
Lunch
1:30pm-2:45pm Session 4
OLMC and health 101:
The three main research areas
Speakers:
Louise Bouchard
(Department of Sociology and
Institute of Population Health, University of Ottawa)
"The linguistic minority situation as a determinant of health"
Pier Bouchard
(Department of Public Administration, Université de Moncton)
"Governance, citizen participation and continued improvement
of health services in French"
Dr. Marie-Hélène Chomienne
(Department of Family Medicine, University of Ottawa and Montfort Hospital)
"Language, culture and health: The state of Knowledge"
2:45pm-3:15pm Health Break
3:15pm-4pm Session 6
Small group workshops: the research problem
4pm-5pm Session 7
Theoretical issues in research on health within OLMC
Speakers:
Lise Dubois
(Canada Research Chair in Nutrition,
Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa)
"The determinants of health and well-being: The population health approach"
Michelle Fortier
(School of Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa)
"The PAC project: Counselling in physical activity.
Interdisciplinary research … in action!"
5pm-7pm Break
7pm-8:30pm Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa
Official launch of the 2008 cihr Summer Institute
Reception offered by dr. Sylvie lauzon
Associate Vice president academic, University of Ottawa
Hour Tuesday, June 10
7am-8:15am Le Jazzy Restaurant
Breakfast
8:30am–8:40am Plenary room
Welcome
8:40am–9:30am Session 8
Small group workshops:
Reflecting on the project's conceptual framework
Hour Tuesday, June 10
9:30am-10:30am Session 9
Methodological issues in research on health within OLMC
Speakers:
Jean-Pierre Corbeil
(Chief Specialist, Language Statistics Section,
Demography Division, Statistics Canada)
"Survey on the vitality of official language minorities in Canada (EVMLO, 2006)
and access to health services in the language of choice: Methodological issues"
Dr. Pierre Pluye
(Department of Family Medicine, McGill University)
"Mixed methods in health sciences"
10:30am-10:45am Health Break
10:45am-11:45am Session 10
Small group workshops:
Reflecting on the project's methodology
11:45am-12:15pm

Session 11
"Spotlight" session
Speaker:
Under the spotlight: Alexandre Dumas
(Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa)

12:15pm-1:30pm Le Jazzy Restaurant
Lunch
1:30pm-2:15pm Session 12
Tool box session: ethical issues in research
Speaker:
Eric Mykhalovskiy
(Canadian Institutes of Health New Investigator,
Department of Sociology, York University)
"Power and ethics in community-oriented research"
2:15pm-3pm Session 13
Speaker series: health within o.l.m.c.
Speaker:
Christiane Bernier
(Research Manager, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages,
Department of Sociology, Laurentian University)
"Utopia or possibility? Francophones in a minority situation and their perception
of access to services in their own language and region"
3pm -3:15pm Health Break
3:15pm-4pm Session 14
Tool box session: KT for knowledge transfer/translation
Speaker:
Andrea Smith
(Senior Knowledge Synthesis and Exchange Specialist,
Knowledge Translation Portfolio, Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
"Building bridges from research to implementation"
4pm-4:45pm Session 15
Small group workshops
4:45pm-6:30pm Break
Hour Tuesday, June 10
6:30pm-9pm Cruise and dinner
Graciously provided by the University of Ottawa's
Faculty of Health Sciences,
Faculty of Social Sciences and Faculty of Medicine
Hour Wednesday, June 11
7:15am-8:30am Le Jazzy Restaurant
Breakfast
8:45am–9am Plenary room
Welcome
9am-9:45am Session 16
Small group workshops:
Poster preparation
9:45am-10:30am Session 17
Speaker series: health within o.l.m.c.
Speaker:
Gratien Allaire
(Director, Institut franco-ontarien and Professor,
Department of History, Laurentian University)
"Second report on the health of Francophones: Issues, challenges and follow-up"
10:30am-10:45am Health Break
10:45am-11:15am Session 18
Tool box session: grant proposals
Speaker:
Nathalie H. Gendron
(Deputy Director, Knowledge Creation Programs Branch,
Research Portfolio, Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
"How to write a grant proposal"
11:15-12:15pm Session 19
Small group workshops:
Poster preparation
12:15pm-1:30pm Le Jazzy Restaurant
Lunch
1:30pm-2:45pm Session 20
Poster presentations
Poster presentation and evaluation by the mentors and speakers.
2:45pm-3:15pm Health Break
3:15pm-4pm Session 21
Discussion of the evaluations and reports on the evaluations
Hour Wednesday, June 11
4pm-4:30pm Session 22
Feedback and evaluation
1. In small groups, informal evaluation of the Summer Institute as a whole.
2. Reports (by groups, a mentor, a speaker, and a member of the Scientific committee).
3. Last words:
Johanne Lapointe, CIHR Geneviève Rail, President of the 2008 CIHR Summer Institute
4:30pm-6:30pm Break
6:30pm-9pm Dinner at the empire grill, byward market Graciously provided by CIHR
Hour Thursday, June 12
7:30am-8:30am Le Jazzy Restaurant breakfast
At leisure

Participants' departure


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Appendix B: Evaluation by Small Groups

Group 1

"Sunflowers"(compliments):
  • Planning, organization, service and documentation provided were highly appropriate
  • Staff and organizers were very friendly and helpful
  • Speakers: wide range of subjects that had practical implications and were directly applicable
  • A wonderful experience in multidisciplinary teamwork, with a great combination of theory and practice
Suggestions:
  • Shorter distance from the work rooms
  • More time to explain the activity
  • More time for group work

Group 2

"Sunflowers"(compliments):

  • Appreciated the contact with such a variety of people (researcher-mentors, emerging researchers, and students)
  • Institute was very well organized (variety of activities, materials)
  • Excellent logistics (interpretation)
  • Excellent food and breaks
  • Good opportunities to meet other people informally
  • Group activities were outstanding—wow!

Suggestions:

  • Create a network of participants by e-mail to facilitate follow-up
  • Create an OLMCs journal for scholarly publications
  • Have the small-group meeting rooms be closer, to facilitate the group working sessions

Group 3

"Sunflowers"(compliments):
  • Program well prepared
  • Quality of resources excellent!!
  • Having us work with mentors forced us to "think out of the box" (If you don't have the community's support, you won't get anywhere.)
  • Duration good

Suggestions:

  • Need coaching to continue/start-up the research project designed in the group
  • A bit more time for the groups

Group 4

"Sunflowers"(compliments):
  • Thanks, magnificent!!
  • Great organization
  • Very good reception
  • This event facilitated networking

Suggestions:

  • Continue the mentoring outside the Summer Institute
  • Expand the list of potential mentors (academic and community mentors)

Group 5

"Sunflowers" (compliments):
  • Loved rubbing shoulders with the big shots
  • The range of speakers and mentors was priceless!
  • Real spirit of collaboration on our team
  • Good instruction for the emerging researchers
  • Warm welcome, good food
  • Appreciated how generously the speakers and mentors shared their knowledge

Suggestions:

  • Presentation (new software features) on knowledge analysis (qualitative and quantitative)
  • The quality of the meals at Club Jazzy went downhill as the days went on!
  • Have the workshop rooms closer to the plenary meeting room
  • Important to stick to the schedule when it's so tight
  • A dinner at the Stirling restaurant (for the participants)!
  • Group people according to career interests, young researchers vs profs (publication, orientation of progress of research)
  • Group the workshops to provide more time to work!

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Appendix C: Participants' Individual Evaluations (sent via e-mail)

Percentage of participants who were satisfied or very satisfied (score of 4 or 5 out of 5)
Section 1: Evaluation of Conference and Workshop Content
Session 1: Reflections on the Learning Objectives 96%
Section 2: Evaluation of the activities
Welcome reception: BBQ and Speed Meeting Activity (Sunday June 8) 100%
Reception offered by Dr. Sylvie Lauzon 83%
Cruise and Dinner on the Rideau Canal (Tuesday June 10) 100%
Dinner at the Empire Grill on the ByWard Market (Wednesday June 11) 100%
Section 3: Evaluation of the Logistics of the Summer Institute
The registration process 100%
The communication process with the people in charge of the Summer Institute 97%
The steps to obtain transportation to the Summer Institute 100%
The steps to obtain accommodation during the Summer Institute 91%
The choice and the quality of the meals and breaks 89%
The contents of the participant kit 100%
The layout of the plenary room 86%
The layout of the rooms for the small-group workshops 54%
Your general impression 100%
Section 4: General evaluation of the Summer Institute
The choice of speakers and guests 100%
The contents of the presentations 96%
The format of the presentations 100%
The information offered during the sessions 96%
The variety and the coherence of the topics 93%
The presence of small-group workshops 89%
The programming, the schedule and the unfolding 89%
The pedagogical approach used throughout the Summer Institute 93%


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Appendix D: Participant's Comments concerning the OLMC 2008 Summer Institute

Thank you for all the work you did to prepare what for me was a wonderful experience!

I want to congratulate you for the work that you and your scientific team did to plan and carry out the Summer Institute on OLMCs. This event was organized down to the last detail. Both the participants and the speakers were chosen very well. In my opinion, this event was a big success. We'll be able to measure its impact by the participants' publications and by the grant applications that they submit to funding agencies. There's a lot to be said about the kinds of follow-up that should logically be done on this institute: a ListServ, a committee to assist in writing scholarly articles, and another committee to assist in writing grant applications. I would be pleased to join your discussion group if you think that would be helpful and appropriate. If you're ever in Montreal, you're welcome to visit. A great summer to all of you.

The first, 2008 edition of the CIHR Summer Institute was a big success. It was a very rewarding experience for me. I would like to express my sincere thanks to you and to everyone else who saw to it that the activities went smoothly and who contributed to our comfort throughout our stay. Once again, my warmest thanks.

I wanted to take a few moments to congratulate you and all the others who helped to organize what turned out, in my view, to be a very successful Institut d'été. I also want to thank you for your very kind words and the lovely gift I received just before I had to leave. I am glad that it went as smoothly as it did. I know that the sessions where I participated, the attendees seemed to have enjoyed the exercise a great deal. The institute also helped me to network a bit and it definitely re-charged my batteries for research in the area of health and linguistic minorities. Let me wish you all the best for the summer. Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the future for us to collaborate on projects like this. Cheers.

I think that you should continue working with the participants and give them some coaching on their projects if they want it. In small and medium-sized universities, there isn't a lot of support provided to researchers in training. And they don't receive any tax incentives to initiate a research process and go looking for grants. What is more, they are often overloaded with administrative work that interferes with the development of their research. Steps should also be taken to facilitate the publication of research articles by researchers in training, because publishing articles is the key to getting grants.

Excellent idea to match mentees and mentors. Wonderful organization and staffing. Thank you for being so friendly and professional. I loved the high quality of our exchanges, and the time the profs have taken to talk with us students, without any hierarchy problem, treating us as equal. For a first Summer Institute it was a wonderful success, CONGRATULATIONS to all of you organizers and all my thanks. I will wait impatiently for our next institute in 3 years. Have a great summer!

This was a highly rewarding workshop! From the time we registered to the time we left, everything was superbly well orchestrated. The work in small groups following the lectures was highly appropriate and gave us the chance to apply these concepts quickly.

The Institute was intense but highly instructive and very interesting. Getting students/emerging researchers together with seasoned professors is an excellent idea that might be even more productive if there were some follow-up or mentoring for people who really wanted to pursue an academic career, by involving them in some longer-term projects.

The Institute also produced some good research ideas that should not be allowed to sink into oblivion. If some of them could be turned into actual research projects, the Institute could even exceed its objective of providing training and engender a new spirit of research as well.

I got the most out of all the activities offered. I got the chance to meet and spend time with experienced people who are passionate about research and the advancement of knowledge. I loved the way all the activities proceeded, even though sometimes it was hard to keep up with such a packed schedule. Overall, the Institute was highly rewarding for me, and I greatly appreciated it. I want to thank everyone who contributed in any way to making this experience a genuine success. Thank you for having given me the chance to have such a rewarding experience.

I thank the Summer Institute for an excellent opportunity that was offered to me. I learned a lot and the small group was my most favorite aspect of the institute as we worked with people from various backgrounds and expertise: mentors as well as new researchers. It was very well done.

The structure and pedagogy of the Institute were superb and incredibly insightful as a graduate student. The networking opportunities (including small group workshops) were especially helpful and motivating. The transcription services were excellent. Thank you!!!

For the next Institute, if you're looking for people to help, whether with planning, activities or organization, you can draw on the pool of participants from the 2008 Institute, and I'd be pleased to be part of the team!


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  1. Report to the Federal Minister of Health: Consultative Committee for French-Speaking Minority Communities, September 2001.
  2. Report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages. House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages (October 2003), Access to Health for the Official Language Minority Communities : Legal Basis, Current Initiatives and Future Prospects.