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Training Program

Propel serves as the secretariat for the CIHR Training Grant in Population Intervention for Chronic Disease Prevention: A Pan-Canadian Program (PICDP) which is part of CIHR’s Strategic Training Initiative in Health Research. The PICDP training program is designed to build population intervention research by providing supplemental training to graduate trainees from a variety of disciplines. The program includes competitive annual salary stipends, a foundational course, monthly web-conferencing, an annual meeting and experiential learning opportunities.

PICDP is a collaborative effort:
  • Funded by CIHR, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and Cancer Care Ontario
  • Co-Principal Investigators from 4 institutions: University of Waterloo/Propel (Barb Riley), University of Alberta (Kim Raine), University of British Columbia (Carolyn Gotay), and University of Toronto (Roberta Ferrence)
  • 70 mentors from 18 institutions in 9 provinces
  • Collaborators who are policy, practice, advocacy and knowledge exchange leaders

Please click here to view 2012/2013 Funded Trainees.

Previously Funded Trainees
The 2013 competition is now closed.

Sophia Papadakis (former trainee)
PhD candidate, University of Waterloo
Research area: Smoking Cessation
The CIHR Strategic Training Program has been instrumental to supporting my research career and has provided me with the opportunity to receive mentorship from many of Canada's leading researchers. The program provides a solid foundation for trainees including specialized training in population intervention as well as the practical aspects of building a research career such as working with the media.
In Ontario, 90% of smokers will come through a primary care centre at least once a year, providing a regular opportunity to offer cessation support. Sophia's research examines ways that doctors can use evidence-based strategies to help their patients quit. She is now testing two smoking cessation interventions at 8 health clinics in the Ottawa area to determine what the characteristics of successful programs are and in which settings they work best.