The Canadian Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation (CC-ABHI) today announced a new partnership agreement with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF). Through this partnership, NBHRF will match funds for up to two New Brunswick-based projects that are awarded funding under CC-ABHI’s Spark Program Call for Innovations.
CC-ABHI’s Spark program is designed to provide point-of-care workers in the health care delivery or service industry in North America with up to $50,000 in funding per project to further develop their grassroots ideas into real-world applications.
Examples of projects that can qualify for funding range from development of an early stage technology (e.g. a ‘paper-based’ solution to a software tool) or an early prototype of a solution, (e.g. an assistive device or wire frame of a software solution) to acquiring trial data to demonstrate usability and/or effectiveness of a solution.
Through the partnership agreement with NBHRF, applicants with New Brunswick-based projects who are awarded funding from CC-ABHI’s Spark program will be eligible to receive an additional $50,000 in matching funding from NBHRF — bringing the total amount of funding up to $100,000 per project. A maximum of two projects per program cycle will be funded.
In addition to providing the opportunity to further advance specific innovative solutions with promise to impact seniors care in New Brunswick and across Canada, this partnership also supports New Brunswick’s efforts to develop a culture of innovation within the seniors sector in the province, as was outlined in the recent release of the Council on Aging Report.
“We’re delighted to partner with the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation to support the acceleration of grassroots ideas from point-of-care workers,” says Ron Riesenbach, Vice-President, Innovation & Chief Technology Officer of Baycrest Health Sciences and CC-ABHI. “Collaboration is integral to the work we do at CC-ABHI, in supporting innovations that aim to improve the brain health and quality of life for older adults in Canada and beyond.”
“NBHRF is pleased to partner with such a national program designed and peer-reviewed by CC-ABHI at Baycrest toward researching and demonstration of novel avenues to enable healthy aging and quality of life in New Brunswick and for all Canada,” says Dr. Bruno Battistini, President, CEO and Scientific Director of NBHRF. “We are committed with CC-ABHI to diligently push forward knowledge translation and mobilization of such outcomes to the systems dealing with aging and eldercare improvement.”
This year, NBHRF will provide $49,800 CAD in matching funding to a Spark project focusing on the development of process for Polypharmacy management and reduction, hosted by York Care Centre in New Brunswick. With the growing issue of polypharmacy (patients taking 5+ medications) in long-term care, there are no specific procedural processes in place or indicated to help optimize medication assessment and review. This project will seek to determine appropriate criteria for medication management and reduction with the ultimate future goal of development of a mobile application to be used by clinicians and caregivers.
“York Care Centre is honored to be the first recipient of matching funds from the exciting new partnership between the Canadian Centre for Aging & Brain Health Innovation and the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation. These additional funds will allow us to far exceed the original goals of the project and meet our overall objectives ahead of schedule. It is partnerships like this, between national and provincial organizations, that will help to ensure that the needs of tomorrow will be met by the innovations of today,” says Kevin Harter, President and Chief Executive Officer, York Care Centre.
Additional details will be available on the 2017 Spark Program Call for Innovations in mid-September. Please visit the CC-ABHI website for more information on the Spark Program and a listing of past successful projects.
Funding for the CC-ABHI Spark Program is provided by the Government of Canada through the Public Health Agency of Canada, by the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, and by the Baycrest Foundation.
About Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation (CC-ABHI)
The Canadian Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation is a solution accelerator for the aging and brain health sector, providing funding and support to innovators for the development, testing, and dissemination of new ideas and technologies that address unmet brain health and seniors’ care needs. Established in 2015, it is the result of the largest investment in brain health and aging in Canadian history. Spearheaded by Baycrest Health Sciences, CC-ABHI is a unique collaboration of healthcare, science, industry, not-for-profit and government partners. CC-ABHI’s objective is to help improve quality of life for the world’s aging population, allowing older adults to age safely in the setting of their choice while maintaining their cognitive, emotional, and physical well-being. For more information on CC-ABHI, please visit: www.cabhi.com.
About the New Brunswick Health Research Foundation
The NBHRF (nbhrf.com / @NBHRF) is an independent organization governed by a board of directors comprised of key stakeholders from the health research community in New Brunswick. Provincial funding is provided by the Regional Development Corporation – Total Development Fund, the Department of Health – Medical Research Fund (MRF) and the Department of Social Development – Wellness Research Fund (WRF) for NBHRF health research programs (HRP), health strategic initiatives (HRI) with federal tri-councils, national health charities and private sector, and the Strategic Investment in Health Research Innovations (SIHRI). The foundation’s mission is to provide leadership and support building health research capacity, improve the health of New Brunswickers and advance the knowledge economy.
