Sheridan awarded over $700K to advance community-based research supporting care partners and ECE workforce

Sheridan has been awarded federal funding of over $716,000 to support two applied research projects that address pressing social issues within our communities: supporting the health and well-being of family and friend care partners of individuals living with dementia and strengthening the childcare workforce to improve access to high-quality, affordable care.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada’s (NSERC) College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) awarded projects will each take place over a three-year period and will spotlight the strength of Sheridan’s interdisciplinary approach to applied research. By connecting multiple perspectives, specialties and methods, the research teams will develop highly relevant, holistic solutions. One project will bring together the expertise of Sheridan’s Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design, (FAAD), Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies (FAHCS) and Centre for Elder Research (CER), while the other will draw on expertise from FAHCS, the Pilon School of Business (PSB) and CER.

This investment will not only deepen the understanding of complex social issues but will also create pathways for evidence-informed change. Through close collaboration with community partners, Sheridan’s researchers will develop and test approaches that enhance quality of life, strengthen workforce sustainability and improve access to supports for those who need them most.

“Securing competitive NSERC CCSIF funding highlights Sheridan’s role as a trusted partner in advancing community and social innovation,” said Ben Rogers, Executive Director, Research, Sheridan College. “These projects also reflect the depth of expertise across our institution and the value of our interdisciplinary approach, bringing diverse perspectives to complex challenges and helping develop solutions that respond to real needs.”

“Sheridan College continues to show how applied research can deliver meaningful solutions for our community. I am pleased that our government has awarded two College and Community Social Innovation Fund (CCSIF) grants, totaling $716,000, to support Sheridan researchers and community partners in addressing needs in seniors’ care and childcare. These investments will strengthen Sheridan’s research capacity and help improve the well-being of people in our community,” said the Honourable Anita Anand, Member of Parliament for Oakville East and Minister of Foreign Affairs.

About the Projects

Creative Caring: Supporting the health and well-being of family and friend care partners of individuals living with dementia through arts and self-expression

As Canada’s population ages, more family members and friends are taking on caregiving roles for older adults in their lives. In fact, one in four Canadians is currently a care partner, and at least half will take on the role at some point in their lives. People who take on the care partner role often have limited access to meaningful supports, face financial strain and deal with negative impacts on their well-being including stress, isolation and burnout.

To address these challenges, Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging at CER and FAHCS professor Dr. Kate Dupuis and FAAD professor Mahak Jain have partnered with the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA), Schlegel Villages, Artfull Enrichment, and AgeCare. Together, they will develop and pilot an arts-based program embedded within Long-term Care (LTC) homes, working alongside care partners, staff and artists. The initiative will be tested in three Ontario sites, with insights used to refine and expand the model across 24 homes province wide.

By integrating creative and accessible supports into LTC homes, the project team seeks to enhance care partner well-being, strengthen connections between care partners and residents and help counteract common stigma and challenges often associated with the role of care partner. This work will help deepen the understanding of how the arts can support the growing Canadian population of family and friend care partners, while emphasizing the importance of co-designed interventions and supports. Findings will inform training opportunities for artists and LTC staff, with potential to extend into professional curriculum across Ontario’s postsecondary institutions.

From Training to Retention: Strengthening early childhood education workforce pathways in Ontario

Canada’s childcare sector is facing a critical workforce shortage, putting access to high-quality, affordable care at risk. A key gap lies in the transition from postsecondary training to the workforce, where many Early Childhood Education (ECE) graduates face uncertainty, inconsistent support or systemic barriers that can delay or prevent them from entering and staying in the field.

In response, Sheridan has partnered with Halton Region’s Children's Services Division and the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce to examine how ECE students’ career intentions evolve from pre-service training into early employment. Led by FAHCS professor Dr. Yalin Gorica, PSB professor Yousuf Haque and CER Research Lead Dr. Karen Slonim, the project will track changes that influence ECE career decisions including motivation, confidence, working conditions and external pressures.

A community-driven model will underpin this work, guided by an Innovation Steering Committee that brings together the expertise of ECE program leaders, community partners, Indigenous community members, regulatory representatives and advocacy organizations. The project will also engage ECE faculty, students, graduates, childcare employers and community members through a series of creative problem-solving workshops, known as Solution Labs. These sessions will help identify systemic challenges and develop evidence-informed interventions that support recruitment, workforce integration and early-career retention. The resulting strategies and pilot initiatives will be designed for project partners to test, adapt and apply within their local contexts. By strengthening workforce stability and supporting ECE practitioner retention, the project aims to enhance the quality of childcare services while contributing to a more sustainable and resilient early learning and care system across Ontario.

Sheridan has received more than $5M in NSERC CCSIF funding to date, with 2026 marking the eighth year the college has secured support through the highly competitive program. With projects supporting health equity, leadership systems, unhoused care, Indigenous language revitalization, older adults’ food security and more, NSERC’s continued investment in Sheridan speaks to the tangible impact of the college’s applied research ecosystem by developing innovative solutions to the pressing challenges facing our communities and social systems.

About Generator at Sheridan

Generator at Sheridan is where purpose and passion unite the extraordinary research, innovation and entrepreneurship undertaken by Sheridan’s faculty, staff and students, working across disciplines and sectors, to drive meaningful impact for an ever-changing world. In addition to our exceptional faculty-led research, Sheridan also boasts five renowned research and entrepreneurship centres that provide innovation supports to community, industry and government partners. Learn more at sheridancollege.ca/generator.