Research Officer, Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research, National Coordinating Centre

Primary Purpose: The Research Officer will act as a resource and support for the NCC research and knowledge translation activities, primarily supporting the NCC’s Rapid Research Response and Wildfires with Indigenous Evacuees project funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from August 1, 2025 to January 31, 2027.

Project Background: The 2025 wildfire season has significantly affected First Nations and Métis communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with over 40,000 people evacuated. Despite representing less than 5% of Canada’s population, the Public Health Agency of Canada estimated that Indigenous communities accounted for over 42% of wildfire evacuations nationally in 2023. These communities often face heightened discrimination, broken social networks, and disrupted access to health and social services when displaced. Compounding this, current emergency research mechanisms are not designed to capture real-time data or center Indigenous knowledges, due in part to limitations in funding cycles, ethics processes, and knowledge mobilization.

This project, led by the National Coordinating Centre for the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NCC-NEIHR), and supported by the 10 provincial/territorial NEIHR centres, proposes a rapid research model rooted in Indigenous methodologies and relational accountability. It seeks to: (1) document the lived experiences and health impacts of First Nations and Métis evacuees through rapid ethnography, interviews, and surveys; (2) support NEIHR capacity to implement rapid research designs with communities and emergency response partners; (3) examine ethical data governance and distinctions-based protocols; and (4) evaluate the rapid research process to inform a scalable response model.

Using pre-existing NEIHR-community relationships and grounded in the 4Rs (respect, relevance, reciprocity, responsibility), the project aims to inform real-time policy and programming while upholding Indigenous governance and ethics. Knowledge mobilization will be prioritized through localized updates and a special issue in the International Journal of Indigenous Health (IJIH). The initiative also includes national and international partnerships to expand impact and share learnings globally. The NCC-NEIHR, with its established relationships and infrastructure, is best positioned to lead this innovative rapid research response.

Nature of Work: The Research Officer is the first point of contact for the Rapid Response and Wildfires project. This position reports to Dr. Robert Henry, PhD, the Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI) of the NEIHR National Coordinating Centre, with secondary reporting to Tara Erb, the Research Manager of the NCC. Additionally, the Research Officer will have guidance and support from the NEIHR research leadership through the Nominated Principal Investigators of all the NEIHR Centres, as well as the managers of each of these NEIHR Centres. This is a fast-paced work environment, and you will need to balance competing priorities and shifting timelines, and exercise judgment and discretion. This position is professional or supervisory in nature and is therefore exempt from overtime.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities:

Duties: (all to be undertaken with the support and approval of NPI Dr. Henry and, if needed, NEIHR NCC Research Manager Tara Erb): 

• Provide day to day support to the Nominated Principal Investigator for this research project, serving as a first point of contact and main project support
• Work collaboratively with the Research Manager of the NEIHR National Coordinating Centre (Tara Erb) and the Research Financial Officer (Tammy Popova) who support this project
• Work collaboratively with the contracted third-party evaluator to support evaluation in this research project (Micheal Heimlick)
• Work collaboratively with staff and students (undergraduate or graduate) who are also supporting this project
• Liaise with people across the country named on the grant (24 Principal Investigators and 31 Collaborators) to support this project
• Conduct literature reviews on literature relevant to wildfires and other emergency evacuation situations, and rapid response research
• Organize researcher and community meetings, talks, networking sessions, symposia and other events in discussion with the Nominated Principal Investigator and research team
• Liaise with Métis knowledge keeper Terri Hansen-Gardiner and other collaborators on the grant, to promote and encourage communities and researchers to apply for up to $20K of Rapid Response Health Research Funds to investigate the impacts of wildfire evacuations on Indigenous Peoples in their communities
• Support communities and researchers with their Rapid Response Health Research Fund grants
• Support provincial and territorial NEIHRs in their applications for $30K of Rapid Response Health Research Funds, as needed
• Seek out and attend all relevant community meetings, travelling provincially or nationally as needed (travel support such as car rentals, flights, hotels and per diems will be arranged with the support of the NCC’s Research Financial Officer)
• Provide support for interviews and focus groups at the direction of research team members (organizing, running, post event analysis as needed)
• Produce periodic reports, including executive summaries and recommendations, for Indigenous communities and government bodies based on project findings. The initial detailed report will be completed on or before May 1, 2026, in discussion with Dr. Henry
• Assist with communications and knowledge translation for project findings: writing briefing notes, news stories, project summaries etc., preparing and giving presentations, taking photos, shooting video, handling social media, liaising with the media and other relevant tasks in discussion with the NPI and Research Team
• Attend relevant provincial and national meetings related to this project
• Maintain a high level of discretion and confidentiality around all matters related to this project
• Expand your scope of knowledge in Indigenous health research methods, Indigenous communities and Peoples in Saskatchewan and across Canada, to better support this project
• Other duties as assigned, in discussion with the NPI, NCC Research Manager, and Research Team named on the grant

Education: Undergraduate degree in a relevant field

Experience: A minimum of three years of experience in roles involving project management, communications and community engagement. Experience with Indigenous health research projects at a provincial or national level would be an asset.  

Skills:

Project management, communications and leadership: ability to exercise independent initiative and work collaboratively with academic and research staff; ability to work well in a team environment; exceptional planning and organizational skills; exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Communications and knowledge translation skills including use of social media, photography, videography etc. would be useful.

Research: some knowledge of TriCouncil funding (CIHR in particular), and other research funding agencies, research administrative management policies and procedures would be useful. Interest in developing expertise in Indigenous research methods, Indigenous data sovereignty, distinctions-based approaches, community-based participatory research, and mixed methods.

Indigenous health: some familiarity with Indigenous health research and integrated knowledge translation, Indigenous cultures, languages and governance. Some familiarity with issues in truth, reconciliation and decolonization, cultural humility and safety, race, sex and gender.