Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit

The Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit (AbSPORU) Graduate Studentship provides opportunities for individuals enrolled in any year of a thesis-based Master’s or PhD program at one of Alberta’s four comprehensive academic research universities (CARU) to undertake research that both meaningfully engages patients and addresses their priorities.

Recipients will have the opportunity to attain the knowledge and experience they need to build exciting careers that leverage their unique training and expertise in patient-oriented research.

Since 2015, AbSPORU has awarded almost $2 million to 64 graduate students, to support their patient-oriented research. Participants in the program have gone on to win 87 academic awards in the form of student funding, fellowships, research project funding, salary support, and professional development opportunities worth a combined total of over $5 million.

The program provides 12 months of funding support towards a thesis-based Master’s or Doctoral degree, consisting of a stipend of $30,000. The program also provides a range of patient-oriented research training and competency development activities to build the interdisciplinary and collaborative skills required of Alberta’s next generation of researchers, clinicians and health services professionals.

Objectives of the Funding:

• Supporting and building capacity for Master’s or PhD graduate students in the principles and practice of patient-oriented research;

• Providing patient oriented research activities to develop capacity through a multi-disciplinary approach for all stakeholders including students, primary research supervisors, patients and community team members;

• Creating opportunities for students to engage with stakeholders to work closely together from conceptualization of research questions to dissemination and implementation of results at the practice and community levels.