This is an invitation to sexual and gender diverse im/migrants and refugees living with HIV in Canada who are interested in informing HIV care for these communities.
Sexual and gender diverse im/migrants and refugees often face racism, xenophobia, and anti-2S/LGBTQ+ stigma — barriers that can make it harder to access HIV care. But there are also amazing community programs doing powerful, culturally grounded work. Through this study, we want to learn from both community members and service providers about what’s working, what’s missing, and what real support looks like.
About CBRC and the project
Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) promotes the health of people of diverse sexualities and genders through research and intervention development.
This collaborative project is led by Ben Klassen (Community-Based Research Centre), Dr. Francisco Ibanez-Carrasco (University of Toronto), and Dr. Nathan Lachowsky (University of Northern British Columbia), in partnership with community organizations across the country.
This national study aims to understand the experiences and needs of sexual and gender diverse im/migrants and refugees living with HIV in Canada. We want to learn about how innovative and community-based programs are improving access to HIV testing, care, treatment, and quality of life for these communities and how we can address gaps in HIV testing, care, and overall wellbeing.
We will learn this by conducting interviews in English, French, and Spanish with sexual and gender-diverse im/migrants and refugees living with HIV, as well as with community organizations and groups across Canada that provide support to these communities.
We will use the results to advocate for better HIV care for sexual and gender diverse im/migrants and refugees living with HIV in Canada.
We are looking for 5 Community Advisors who:
- Are living with HIV
- Live in Canada
- Identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, queer, asexual, intersex, or any other sexual and/or gender-diverse identity
- Are an im/migrant or refugee (e.g., permanent resident, protected person, refugee claimant, international student, temporary worker, or naturalized citizen) to Canada
- Can work with the research team in English
- Can work virtually as part of a team across Canada (e.g., using Zoom, email, Google Docs, etc)
To promote diversity of opinion and perspective, and equitable treatment access, there is a preference for sexual and gender diverse im/migrants and refugees living with HIV who are newcomers, have precarious immigration status, use substances, live in rural and remote settings, do not speak English as a first language, and/or identify as trans, non-binary, Indigenous, Black, and/or a Person of Colour.
Our team believes that no research about these communities should be developed without the communities in question being involved every step of the way. “Nothing about us without us.”
Your role
Working with the CBRC research team, community advisors will steer all activities of this project, including:
- Shaping data collection and analysis plans and tools (e.g., interview guides, study ads);
- Interpreting qualitative (i.e., interview) research findings
- Developing and refining project outputs (e.g., reports, presentations)
Community advisors will work closely with CBRC’s Research team. Conversations will take place virtually by email or Zoom. The frequency of meetings depends on the project progress but approximately bi-monthly meetings are expected. Each community advisor will receive $50 per meeting as an honorarium.
Please note that CBRC is required to get your Social Insurance Number (SIN) and issue a T4A slip if you receive $500 or more from CBRC within a calendar year. If this presents barriers to your participation, please contact us.
Community advisors who are interested in being more involved in the research process will be invited to apply to be peer researchers who will lead data collection and analysis for the project.
Interested?
Please send a short statement of interest to our Research team by email ([email protected]). You can submit your statement of interest in whatever format works best for you, including but not limited to:
- A written email or document sent as an attachment (2-3 paragraphs)
- A short video (maximum 3 minutes)
- An audio recording (maximum 3 minutes)
Some things you might want to include in your statement of interest:
- Why you are interested in being involved in this project
- How you meet the requirements for the position
- Lived experiences that you’d like to share
- Any past experience in research and/or community settings
- Anything else you’d like us to know
Please note that we will not be assessing the grammatical correctness of your application. We appreciate the originality of applications with unique stories, fabulous lived experience, and passion. We encourage you to write your application in your own words without feeling stressed about perfection.
We will begin to review submissions on June 15, 2026, and will hold follow-up conversations via Zoom with shortlisted individuals shortly afterwards.
Acknowledgement:
This study is supported by Gilead Sciences, Inc.
