The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) – Undergraduate Student Research Awards (USRA) provide an opportunity for Black undergraduate students to be engaged in research with faculty members, developing their research skills and inviting them to explore opportunities for further graduate studies.
In 2025, Bloomberg Nursing received the highest number of CIHR -USRA awards since the grant programs inception, with twelve student recipients.
“This record number of award recipients highlights our Faculty’s commitment to furthering nursing research at the undergraduate level and across diverse populations,” says Kelly Metcalfe, Associate Dean Research and External Relations. “It is also a reflection of the calibre of our students who consistently demonstrate their readiness to be a part of transformational and evidence-based change in healthcare.”
Reshaping outlook on research
Ayomide Olayinka says that this grant program has definitively reshaped his outlook on research. With his first undergraduate degree in biochemistry, he says, he was exposed to research largely in lab-based settings, but with nursing focused research, he has had an opportunity to explore other methodologies, showing him the direct impact that research has on the population.
“This experience really emphasized for me how research moves from the theoretical to real-world practical solutions,” says Olayinka. “Throughout my time in this program I have seen how research informs policy and interventions especially in the space of student mental health.”
A second year BScN student, Olyainka was paired with supervisor Associate Professor Kristin Cleverley, Director of Inlight and a renowned mental health researcher. In addition to analyzing data for a scoping review, Olayinka also had the opportunity to participate in field work that included speaking with student participants and members of the Inlight Student Advisory Committee. He says that the skills he gained from this program are important stepping stones regardless of whether he pursues graduate education or continues in nursing practice.
Expanding knowledge in nursing science
Like Olayinka, Danielle Sobers previously experienced research in only in laboratory environments, but wanted to take this opportunity made available by the CIHR USRA program to expand her research knowledge in nursing science.
“I was very used to creating data from physical experiments, but with nursing research you are working with people, trying to understand how care is handled in hospital settings, and how it interlinks to the outcomes of patients,” says Sobers who is also a BScN student.
Under the supervision of Assistant Professor Mariana Bueno, Sobers was involved in research focused on neonatal pain management. She created a REDCap survey for Bueno to gather data from NICU nurses across Ontario, to understand their perspectives about parental involvement in neonatal pain management. Sobers hopes to be a pediatric or NICU nurse after graduation and was eager to work with this population from a research perspective.
For Sobers, the fact that the CIHR – USRA program encourages Black students to consider careers in research is something she hopes will lead to greater representation of racially diverse people in research overall, including in data.
“I’m still looking forward to being a bedside nurse, but I am also looking forward to the opportunities that being involved in research through this program has opened up for me,” says Sobers.
New opportunities to gain hands-on research experience
The fact that this opportunity was open specifically to Black students is also what motivated Doyin Ayodemi to apply.
“I felt like being given this opportunity for a first-hand experience with research was my moment to shine,” says Ayodemi, who is also a BScN student. “I knew nursing was not a singular field, but I didn’t know how to get started in research until this program opened up for me.”
Ayodemi has worked with Associate Professor Lisa Cranley on her project developing a mobile app for older adults in long-term care settings. Throughout her time on the project, she says she was able to explore activities she had never done before, while learning what it takes to complete a scoping review.
Ayodemi has continued to work with Cranley on her research following the end of the grant program because she says she has developed a newfound interest in quality improvement research.
“Being involved in research at this level is rewarding because you recognize how important the role of nurse-led research is,” says Aydoemi.
Understanding how nurses contribute to advancements in research
For Thianna Edwards, she was drawn to working with supervisor Professor Monica Parry because of her role as both a practicing NP and a researcher.
“Working with Professor Parry expanded my view of what a nursing career can look like and how nurses contribute to research advancements. Professor Parry loves what she does, and I was able to see how working with patients and research simultaneously benefits and informs the other,” says Edwards who is a second year BScN student.
Through the grant program, Edwards worked with Parry on her CROWNING US study, which looked at co-developing research priorities for women’s cardiovascular health. She also had an opportunity to present and promote research on women’s cardiovascular health in partnership with organizations such as the Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice Organization and the Sickle Cell Awareness Association.
“Presenting research was a huge milestone for me, and it helped me feel more comfortable speaking about research findings,” says Edwards. “I learned so much more about women’s cardiovascular health and the existing research gaps in this area, which made the work I did feel even more important and relevant to my role as a nurse.”
As part of Bloomberg Nursing’s strategic academic plan over the next five years, embedding more undergraduate students into research will continue to be a priority for the Faculty, including through the promotion of the CIHR – USRA grant program.