Brain Canada and Kids Brain Health Network (KBHN), in partnership with other Canadian organizations, are investing nearly $6.5 million to advance solutions that improve the lives of children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
Approximately 10% of children and youth in Canada live with a neurodevelopmental disability such as autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy or fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. While early identification approaches, interventions and supports for families are being developed at a rapid pace, many do not reach those who need them most. KBHN exists to catalyze the implementation of tangible solutions for children and families.
Brain Canada supports research across all areas of brain health and is committed to advancing projects that improve the lives of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families.
To further the network’s mission, KBHN, with the support of Brain Canada, launched the inaugural Innovation and Implementation Programs competition to fund the growth of promising initiatives in neurodevelopmental disabilities.
“Since 2024, we have shifted our focus on expanding access to programs, services and technologies that directly benefit thousands of children in Canada and worldwide,” said KBHN CEO Geoff Pradella. “A significant step in moving towards implementation, spread and scale of practical solutions is funding projects that align with our mission and cultivating partnerships to support this goal.”
A leading national convenor of those who support and advance brain research, Brain Canada is pleased to partner with KBHN on this initiative.
By investing in research focused on early intervention and family-centered care, we are ensuring that the latest scientific discoveries lead to real-world impact
Dr. Viviane Poupon, President and CEO of Brain Canada.
The 2024 KBHN Innovation and Implementation Programs award recipients:
- Building Emotional Awareness and Mental Wellness (BEAM)
- F-Words for Child Development
- Instrument to Measure Behaviours of Concern
- Liberi Exergames
- Social ABCs
Moving science to action
The KBHN Innovation and Implementation Programs are made possible through the support of the Strategic Science Fund. Under the mandate of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, KBHN is advancing initiatives to help ensure that all children with neurodevelopmental disabilities live their best lives.
Supporting science-driven solutions reflects the federal government’s commitment to improving health and well-being. The rigorous and merit-based process for awarding the Strategic Science Fund to organizations, including KBHN, ensures that Canada remains a leader in innovation and new technologies.
KBHN’s call for proposals, backed by an investment of over $2 million, attracted strong project submissions from across the country. Following a competitive review process, KBHN awarded funding to nine projects, matched by nearly $6.5 million in combined investments from Canadian businesses, institutions, philanthropy, and provincial governments to support children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Brain Canada is contributing close to $700k in funding to support four of these projects.
- Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) Intervention Johanna Lake
- Examining the Effectiveness of an Anxiety Intervention for Youth with ADHD (FIERCE) Carly McMorris
- Implementation of Canada’s Pediatric Pain Standard for Children Kathryn Birnie
- KidsAction and Indigenous Dance Programs Stephanie Glegg
An independent Programs Advisory Committee with expertise spanning academia, lived experience, clinical practice, and business evaluated the proposals.
“Including individuals with lived experience as equal members in the review process, and at all levels of the planning, decision-making, implementation and evaluation processes, is critical to support implementation-ready, high-impact work,” said Michelle Wan, KBHN committee member and mother of a child with medical complexities.
The successfully funded projects are collaborating with organizations in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan and Yukon.
Brain Canada is excited to support this program that will extend the reach of innovations, programs, and services to benefit more children and youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Canada and beyond.