AbSPORU Partners on Historic One Child Every Child Initiative

In a groundbreaking leap towards improving child health and wellness, the University of Calgary secured a historic $125 million investment from the Government of Canada via the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF), augmented by additional partner funding to a total of $268 million. This investment is the largest research grant ever awarded to an Alberta university. The Alberta-based One Child Every Child (OCEC) initiative aims to transform the lives of children across Canada, ensuring every child is healthy, empowered, and thriving.

As a foundational partner, AbSPORU has committed nearly $400,000 in in-kind support to OCEC, which was crucial to securing the federal grant. AbSPORU’s contributions include core research support services, capacity development, patient engagement, and knowledge mobilization activities. These resources are vital for the effective implementation of the initiative’s comprehensive programs.

OCEC is a Canada-first research, scholarship, and knowledge mobilization initiative with a transformative vision for child health. OCEC formally launched in Spring 2023, and AbSPORU has already started to deliver on its in-kind commitments. 

United in a fundamental mission to mobilize knowledge and build a foundation for global research excellence and collaboration, researchers, community partners, healthcare providers, equity-deserving groups, educators, and indigenous communities are working together to accelerate advancements related to child health.

Dr. Oddone Paolucci also co-leads the OCEC’s Transdisciplinary Training Accelerator. This accelerator aims to equip a new generation of researchers with a transdisciplinary understanding of the multifaceted dimensions of child health. AbSPORU’s mandate also focuses on training the next generation of researchers, advancing a culture shift towards patient- and community-engaged research that shapes healthcare practice and policy.

AbSPORU’s investment in OCEC is already having an impact through several pillars of AbSPORU’s services, initiatives, and training opportunities. To date, AbSPORU has funded three graduate studentship projects focusing on pediatric chronic pain, improving access to health services for Black preterm infants, and improving pediatric-to-adult transition care services for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.

Members of OCEC from the University of Calgary, along with peers from the Stollery Children’s Hospital, Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, and Alberta Health Services Maternal Newborn & Youth Strategic Clinical Network (24 participants total), completed AbSPORU’s professional development certificate courses covering topics such as Pragmatic Clinical Trials, Patient Engagement, and Implementation Science. 

AbSPORU’s annual conference on patient-oriented research, the Northwest SPOR Collaborative Forum, brings together experts, patients and community partners, researchers, and health system decision-makers, offering opportunities to learn and connect. In future iterations of the Forum, including our 10th annual conference in 2025, child health research can be elevated through AbSPORU’s collaboration with OCEC, including through the creation of a dedicated Community of Practice focused on child health. By leveraging the broader SPOR community, OCEC will have the opportunity to expand its national impact.

In fact, at the 2024 Northwest SPOR Collaborative Forum, six poster presentations by OCEC-affiliated participants were featured, covering topics such as interventions for medical traumatic stress in children with medical complexity, and the use of patient-reported measures in pediatric health systems.

In a quote obtained from the University of Calgary’s Instagram account, Dr. Deborah Marshall, lead for OCEC’s Impact, Value, and Knowledge Mobilization accelerator said:

As OCEC evolves, its focus is on expanding reach and deepening impact through mentorship and health programs, community partnerships, and advocating for policies that support children’s well-being. 

With patient- and community-engaged research at its cornerstone, AbSPORU and OCEC’s mandates align with Children’s Healthcare Canada’s national priorities in child health, allowing for potential impact throughout the country.

Parent support groups, organized by OCEC, provide a platform for sharing experiences and accessing resources while collaborative events with local businesses offer additional support. Things like family workshops, cultural celebrations, job training programs, and financial literacy workshops empower families to reach their highest potential. These opportunities mesh with AbSPORU’s values and offer exciting potential for collaboration with AbSPORU’s vibrant and active Alberta Youth Advisory Council. 

By addressing the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of children, OCEC and AbSPORU will pave the way for a brighter, more equitable society, aiming to serve as a model for other institutions and communities around the world.

Amina, a bright young girl from a refugee family, struggled to adapt to her new environment. Through OCEC programs and initiatives, Amina improved her English skills, excelled in her studies, and gained confidence. Today, she dreams of becoming a doctor, inspired by the care and support she received. Similarly, the Johnson family, facing financial hardships, found relief through the initiative’s comprehensive support, which improved their children’s academic performance and alleviated family stress.

For more information and to stay updated on the initiative, follow “One Child Every Child” on Instagram and visit their website.

With files from the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the University of Calgary.