The ministry is pleased to announce the 2008 Career Scientist award recipients. This program is integral to the ministry’s efforts to support researchers throughout their career, and to ensure that the best evidence is available for making decisions about the health of Ontarians. These awards will contribute to the improvement, organization and quality of health service delivery in Ontario.

In January 2008, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care announced its annual Open Provincial Competition of the Career Scientist Awards. The deadline for the submission of applications was March 28, 2008.

Through the Career Scientist Awards, the ministry supports outstanding candidates to carry-out independent research in health services. By investing in health services researchers in Ontario, the ministry is working to ensure that the necessary human resources are present to address issues that are important to Ontario's health care system. Health services research examines the management, organization, and effectiveness of health services to inform decision-making in policy, development, planning and delivery of health services.

These five (5) year awards provide salary support for promising health researchers in the early stages of their careers. This support enables award recipients to devote a minimum of 75% of their time to health services research, and thereby establish themselves in their field of research.

The academic peer-review panel and the policy relevance review panel met in May 2008 and June 2008, respectively, to review the submissions received. Of the eighteen (18) submissions reviewed, six (6) were recommended by both Panels for ministry funding based on the highest scores for scientific merit and relevance to ministry priorities.

Of special interest to the ministry were applicants that focussed on the ministry’s health services research priority areas of :

• Aging and home care
• Diabetes and chronic disease; and
• Mental health

Natalie Coburn
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
Improving survival for gastric cancer participants

Mary Fox
York University
Factors Restricting Mobility in Older Adults with Chronic Disease

Andrea Gershon
University of Toronto
Providing Evidence on the Impact of Medication on COPD

Sharon Kaasalainen
McMaster University
Improving Pain Management in Long-term Care

Jeff Kwong
Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences
Assessing Public Health Interventions for Infectious Diseases (APHIID)

Vicky Stergiopoulos
University of Toronto
Collaborative Mental Health Care for the Homeless