Concordia School of Health News Bulletin

In this issue:

• School of Health news
• Student Corner
• Concordia News
• Concordia funding opportunities platform
• Other funding opportunities
• Concordia events
• Shared from the community

School of Health news

Help us showcase your research!

We'd love to highlight your research, publications, awards, grants, presentations, partnerships, and other achievements through the School of Health's communications and social media channels.

For submission guidelines and examples, or to share your content, contact wendy.kunin@concordia.ca. 

Please also let us know if your research aligns with any Government of Canada Health Promotion Days. We'd love to feature research that connects with these important dates.

Student Corner

Prestigious Awards & Scholarships - Information sessions

Are you thinking about graduate studies in Canada or abroad? The Student Success Centre is offering online information sessions on several major fully funded scholarship opportunities, including the Rhodes Scholarship for study at the University of Oxford, the McCall MacBain Scholarship for study at McGill University, the Schwarzman Scholars Program at Tsinghua University in Beijing and the Gates Cambridge Scholarship for study at the University of Cambridge.

These awards are intended for students with strong academic records, leadership potential, community engagement, service, research experience, advocacy, creativity, or other meaningful extracurricular experience. The sessions will give you an overview of the scholarships, eligibility criteria, application timelines, what selection committees look for and how to begin preparing.

Upcoming online information sessions:
Tuesday, August 18, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, August 26, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Students are encouraged to attend early, as these applications require time for reflection, writing, references and preparation. For questions, contact prestigiousawards@concordia.ca.

School of Health Sponsored Courses

In 2026-2027, the SoH is sponsoring the following courses (based in the Faculties):

Topic: Environmental Health and Well-Being
Fall 2026 - LOYC 498 / CATS 631 / MSCA 652
Format: hybrid SGW (synchronous); Schedule: Fridays 2:45-5:30 PM

Topic: Introduction to Public Health in Québec
Winter 2027 - POLI 316 / CATS 631 / MSCA 652
Format: online/remote (synchronous); Schedule: Wednesdays, 5:45PM - 8:30PM

GradPro Skills Workshops

Workshops for graduate students to help increase practical skills and employability.

Concordia News

Concordia funding opportunities platform

We are pleased to highlight Concordia University's new in-house grant advertising platform. The aim of this platform is to make funding opportunities more visible to our research community, in an easy and user-friendly format - including listing of deadlines, funding amounts, eligibility criteria and internal contacts. 

New opportunities are added on a weekly basis. You can sign-up to receive notifications via email or check all available opportunities on the main page.

We encourage all researchers and research support staff to sign-up and explore the platform.

If you have any questions or feedback, please email andrea.rodney@concordia.ca.

NOTE: due to the new funding platform, School of Health will only share funding opportunities that could not be found in the platform. 

Other funding opportunities

Alliance International Collaboration

We are pleased to share details regarding the reopening of the Alliance International Collaboration program, scheduled for September 2, 2026.

Please note the following:

• Given the increased demand, the program will now operate on a competitive basis, with three proposal submission deadlines per year. The deadline for the 2026 competition is November 25, 2026, at 8:00 p.m. ET. Deadlines for 2027 will be announced in January 2027.
• To include Canadian applicants who were unable to submit an application before the May 20, 2025 deadline, the 120-day rule will not apply, and they may submit a proposal to NSERC until November 25, 2026. These applications must meet all program requirements, and the collaborative project must still be viable.
• Information webinars will be held on September 25 and 26, 2026. Additional details and registration links will be posted on the program webpages when the program reopens.

If you have any questions or require additional information, please contact: AllianceInternational@NSERC-CRSNG.GC.CA

Concordia events

CeNSR NanoInnovation Day

Registration is now open for the inaugural CeNSR NanoInnovation Day, organized by the Centre for NanoScience Research (CeNSR) at Concordia University, taking place on September 18, 2026, in Montreal, Canada.

This event will bring together researchers, graduate students, industry partners, and innovators to explore nano-innovation and emerging technologies in health, energy, and environmental applications through a full day of keynote talks, student presentations, scientific exchange, and networking opportunities.

📅 Event date: September 18
📝 Abstract submission deadline: August 15
💲 Registration fee: $25

For additional information, sponsorship opportunities, or general inquiries, please contact censr@concordia.ca.

Shared from the Community

Defy Dementia™ Episode 38: Spotlight on Improv

This episode brings together performers, educators and a neuropsychologist to explore how improvisational theatre (“improv”) can support healthy aging. Drawing on experiences across comedy, performance and research, the speakers highlight how improv may help reduce depression and anxiety, which are key risk factors for dementia.

Alongside co-hosts Jay Ingram and Dr. Allison Sekuler, guests Tim Paul, Romy Teperson, Robert E. Daniel and Dr. Kristin Krueger (Rush University Medical Center, Cook County Health) share how improv promotes social connection, physical movement and cognitive engagement.

From training to community programs, the conversation underscores how humour, creativity and practice can build confidence, resilience and well-being, making improv a powerful and accessible tool for enhancing quality of life across the lifespan.

Canadian Council for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (CCSBE) Conference

The CCSBE conference brings together researchers, founders, investors, educators, and policymakers to explore how bold ideas turn into real world impact. This year’s conference theme is From Ideas to Impact: Connecting Entrepreneurship Education and Practice. The theme focuses on how entrepreneurship education, research, and practice translate ideas into real-world outcomes.

The Thematic pillars:
* Lab-to-Market & Life Sciences Commercialization: Translating research and discovery into viable ventures through education, policy, and support systems.
* AI-Enabled Venture Creation and Support: Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance entrepreneurial learning, venture development, and ecosystem capacity.
* Sustainable Business Models and Durable Growth: Building ventures designed for long-term resilience, responsibility, and impact.
* Building Entrepreneurial Skills to Future-Proof Careers: How education and research drive entrepreneurial mindsets

CCSBE offers different speaking opportunities for members to share their research and experience during this conference. Researchers, students, and professionals can apply to present their papers, give a workshop, or organize a panel. If you are interested, please submit your information via the form linked below, and our review committee will get back to you as soon as possible.
The CCSBE accepts and encourages French submissions.
Submission Deadline: September 12, 2026

Session lengths:
* Paper (20 min)
* Individual presentation (20 min-15 min press 5 min Q)
* Panel (30 min-20 + 10)/ Panel with 3 speakers or more (50 min- 40+10 Q&A)
* Workshop (30 min) Select Tracks and Subthemes

Global Good Speaker Series

Join us for an intimate discussion about the future of global health. 

Guest: Dr. Tim Evans, Vice President of Research, Innovation, and Impact, Concordia University

Hosted by Lindsay Glassco, President and CEO, Plan International Canada

Moderated by Quinn Bingham, Vice President of Philanthropy, Plan International Canada

Tim has spent decades at the centre of global health and policy. He was the inaugural director and associate dean of the School of Population and Global Health at McGill University, has held senior leadership roles at the World Bank, World Health Organization, and BRAC University, was the executive director of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, and was co-founder of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Throughout his career, Tim has helped strengthen health systems in communities around the world.

In this conversation, we’ll explore what he’s seeing in today’s rapidly changing landscape – from funding pressures to the future of global health systems – and what it means for all of us who care about creating a more equal world.

Event details:
Tuesday, August 25
12:00–1:00 p.m. ET
Virtual (Zoom)

SAVE THE DATE: Cancer Translational Research Horizons (CRT Horizons)

We are pleased to announce the fourth edition of Cancer Translational Research Horizons (CTR Horizons), taking place on November 25 and 26, 2026.

CTR Horizons brings together leaders and innovators at the forefront of health technologies, highlighting advances that are shaping the future of cancer care and translational research.

Registration and abstract submission are now open.

Brain Canada and CanNRT Partner to Support the Future of Neurodevelopmental Research in Canada

The Canadian Neurodevelopmental Research Training Platform (CanNRT) and Brain Canada Foundation are pleased to announce a new partnership that will strengthen the CanNRT Fellowship, CanNRT’s flagship program for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and clinical fellows in neurodevelopmental research.

Through this partnership, the existing CanNRT Fellowship will become the CanNRT-Brain Canada Fellowship. The program will continue to recognize research excellence while providing Fellows with the funding, mentorship, training, and national connections needed to build meaningful careers in neurodevelopmental research. 

The Request for Applications for the CanNRT-Brain Canada Fellowship will launch in Fall 2026.