Goals and Objectives
We propose an innovative program of community-partnered research comprised of three interlinked collaborative working groups targeting three key ethical issues:
- Health care provider (HCP) obligations and institutional support for HCPs
- Priority setting for scarce resources
- Risk communication and knowledge transfer
Each working group will bring together study investigators, end-users, community partners, and research trainees in interdisciplinary scholarship with immediate policy relevance. Complementing the three key ethical issues are three cross-cutting themes: (i) promoting public trust; (ii) incorporating voices from vulnerable and special needs populations; and (iii) public engagement and the use of social networking tools.
The CanPREP project has three specific objectives:
- Objective 1: KNOWLEDGE GENERATION
To generate new knowledge on key ethical questions for pandemic preparedness through innovative interdisciplinary and participatory research by study investigators, end-users, community partners, and research trainees. - Objective 2: PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT
To develop innovative public engagement strategies that will: a) improve values-based decision making; b) enhance risk communication and public trust; and c) facilitate increased public engagement and broad stakeholder consultation/commitment in order to produce a social mandate that will guide and involve decision making in pandemic preparedness. - Objective 3: CAPACITY BUILDING
To create, through an academically rigorous and policy relevant interdisciplinary training program, a cadre of highly-qualified researchers with diverse methodological and conceptual skills relevant to pandemic preparedness and applicable to other public health hazards.