Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre

Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre
Name	Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre
Formation	1999
Headquarters	Iqaluit, Nunavut
Region served	Nunavut
Leader title	Director

Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre is a community-based Nunavut research organization focused on Inuit health and wellness in Arctic Canada. The centre conducts culturally grounded investigations into public health, epidemiology, mental health, and social determinants affecting Inuit populations across Nunavut and the circumpolar North. It collaborates with territorial and federal institutions, Indigenous organizations, academic partners, and international Arctic research networks to translate findings into policy and practice.

History

Founded in 1999 in Iqaluit, the centre emerged amid dialogues involving Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, and the Government of Nunavut about self-determined health research. Early projects intersected with initiatives from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, and the Department of Indigenous Services Canada, aligning with priorities set by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Over time the centre engaged with universities such as the University of Toronto, University of British Columbia, McGill University, and Memorial University, while participating in international fora including the Arctic Council, Inuit Circumpolar Council, World Health Organization, and the International Union for Circumpolar Health. Partnerships with organizations like the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Nunavut Research Institute, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Institute of Indigenous Peoples’ Health expanded capacity for longitudinal studies, community-based participatory research, and program evaluations alongside groups such as the Canadian Arctic Resources Committee, the Circumpolar Health Research Network, and the Indigenous Physicians Association of Canada.

Mandate and Research Focus

The centre’s mandate emphasizes Inuit-led research on respiratory health, infectious disease, chronic disease, mental health, substance use, environmental health, and food security. Research topics frequently align with directives from the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, the Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, and the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, and intersect with studies by the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health, Statistics Canada, and Indigenous Services Canada. Projects draw on methodologies used by the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami’s National Inuit Suicide Prevention Strategy, the World Health Organization’s frameworks, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research guidelines to ensure culturally relevant approaches that parallel work at the Centre for Indigenous Peoples’ Nutrition and Environment and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

Governance and Partnerships

Governance structures include boards and advisory councils with representatives from Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated, regional Inuit associations, hamlet councils, and academic partners such as Dalhousie University, the University of Calgary, and Queen’s University. The centre has memoranda of understanding with the Nunavut Department of Health, the Arctic Institute of North America, and the Canadian Polar Commission, and collaborates with non-governmental organizations like the Canadian Red Cross and Amnesty International on human rights and health access issues. Funding and oversight have involved partnerships with agencies including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada, and philanthropic foundations such as the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Arctic Inspiration Prize.

Programs and Projects

Programs include community-driven surveillance of respiratory syncytial virus, tuberculosis screening initiatives in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Canada and local health centres, mental health promotion projects informed by the Mental Health Commission of Canada frameworks, and food security research linked to Nutrition North Canada analyses. Other projects encompass environmental contaminants monitoring tied to the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme, climate change health impact studies coordinated with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, youth resilience programs echoing work by the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and First Nations Health Authority, and elder care initiatives aligned with the Canadian Home Care Association and Alzheimer Society of Canada. The centre contributes to knowledge translation through policy briefs used by the Government of Nunavut, submissions to Parliamentary committees, and presentations at conferences such as the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting and the International Congress on Circumpolar Health.

Facilities and Staff

Based in Iqaluit, facilities include offices, meeting spaces for community consultations, and laboratory partnerships with regional hospitals and university laboratories like those at the National Microbiology Laboratory, McMaster University, and the University of Manitoba. Staff comprise Inuit researchers, epidemiologists, community health representatives, social workers, and administrative personnel, many of whom have training from institutions such as the University of Alberta, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and the Indigenous health programs at the University of Manitoba. Visiting scholars from Oxford University, Harvard University, and the Karolinska Institutet have collaborated on specific studies, while training exchanges have involved the Canadian Network for Public Health Intelligence and the Arctic Institute of North America.

Community Engagement and Ethics

Community engagement is central, with research governed by Inuit ethical principles and protocols that reference OCAP principles, Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, and guidelines promoted by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Nunavut Research Institute. The centre employs community advisory committees, participatory methods common to Indigenous research ethics boards, and co-creation models used by the First Nations Information Governance Centre. Results are returned to communities through hamlet meetings, land-based workshops, collaborations with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and regional Inuit associations, and dissemination events at gatherings such as the Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated conferences and ArcticNet symposia. The centre’s ethical approach informs collaborations with national bodies including the Tri-Council Policy Statement and provincial health authorities to ensure culturally safe, rights-based research practices.

Category:Health research organizations in Canada Category:Organizations based in Nunavut Category:Indigenous health