Seeking Community Advisors for Study About Intergenerational Queer Friendship

Seeking Community Advisors for Study About Intergenerational Queer Friendship

The Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) is seeking up to ten (10) community advisors to support a new research project that will explore the impacts of intergenerational social connections and friendships on Two-Spirit, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex, and asexual (2S/GBTQQIA+) men and masc folks. As Community Advisors, individuals will play a key role in the project by providing guidance for project activities, and will also have the opportunity to learn about community-based research approaches.

About the project

The project, led by Dr. Kiffer Card, is designed to understand and enhance intergenerational social connections within 2S/GBTQQIA+ communities. Over an 8-week period, project participants will engage in an online befriending program, matching younger participants with older participants. Participants will partake in weekly conversations and reflect on these experiences, contributing valuable insights into the role of these connections in fostering community resilience and mental well-being.

This project is trying to understand:

  • What is the impact of intergenerational social connections among 2S/GBTQQIA+ men and masc folks? 
  • How do online befriending programs influence participants’ sense of loneliness and connection to the 2S/GBTQQIA+ community? 
  • What are the mental and sexual health outcomes associated with participating in this study for 2S/GBTQQIA+ men and masc folks?
  • What challenges and barriers do participants encounter in establishing and maintaining intergenerational social connections?

About CBRC and the project team

This is a collaborative project between CBRC, Dr. Kiffer Card’s Healthy Ecologies and Lifestyles Lab at Simon Fraser University, and CompanionLink.

CBRC promotes the health of people of diverse sexualities and genders through research and intervention development. CBRC’s core pillars — community-led research, knowledge exchange, network building, and leadership development — position the organization as a thought leader, transforming ideas into actions that make a difference in our communities. Here are the research principles that guide CBRC’s work.

The Principal Investigator for this project is Dr. Kiffer Card (he/him), an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Health Sciences at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Card’s research is focused on the ecological, political, and social determinants of health, with an emphasis on understanding how emotional distress and coping responses impact health, well-being, and equity. Dr. Card approaches his work by leveraging community-based mixed methods study designs, with an emphasis on theoretically-informed quantitative analyses.

CompanionLink is a Canadian charity that promotes the social and emotional wellness of seniors by offering virtual one-on-one friendships, aiming to alleviate isolation and loneliness, foster intergenerational learning, and celebrate the value seniors bring to our world.

Role of Community Advisors

Community Advisors will work closely with the research project team in the following ways:

  • Developing promotional materials
  • Providing feedback and insights on data collection and analysis tools (e.g. interview guides)
  • Interpreting research findings
  • Refining research outputs (e.g. community reports) 

The time commitment is for 9 months (1-3 hours/month), beginning in July 2024. Meetings will take place virtually by Zoom or phone, and Community Advisors will receive email updates about the project in months where meetings do not take place.

We are looking for 10 Community Advisors who:
  • Identify as part of the 2S/GBTQQIA+ community
  • Identify as a man or masculine (including trans men, masc Two-Spirit and/or nonbinary folks, and cis men)
  • Are 19 years old or older
  • Live in Canada
  • Are able to work remotely and in English
  • Are available for up to 3 hours per month for
    • Training and orientation (likely to be self-paced)
    • Meetings every other month, which can be attended by Zoom or phone
    • Review of documents in between meetings
We are especially interested in Community Advisors who bring any of the following lived experiences:
  • Older folks (aged 55+)
  • Indigenous folks
  • Black folks
  • Racialized folks
  • Immigrant, newcomer, refugee, and non-status folks
  • Disabled folks
Benefits of being a Community Advisor:
  • An honorarium of $50/hour for your active participation in the project
  • The opportunity to meet and connect with other 2S/GBTQQIA+ men and masc folks
  • The opportunity to be part of a community-based research project
  • The project team’s gratitude and a reference letter
  • The opportunity to, if desired, be named in documents like community reports

How to apply

Please send a short statement of interest to Katie O’Brien (they/them), the Research Coordinator on this project, at [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 a project about intergenerational friendships
  • 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

If this process presents barriers, please send Katie an email with the subject line “Access: Community Advisors” to discuss alternate formats for submitting an application. We will begin to review submissions on July 10, 2024, and will hold follow-up conversations with individuals shortly afterwards.

Acknowledgment

This study is funded by a Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) Catalyst Grant.

Disponible en français.

CBRC

About CBRC

Community-Based Research Centre (CBRC) promotes the health of people of diverse sexualities and genders through research and intervention development.
Seeking Community Advisors for Study About Intergenerational Queer Friendship
Seeking Community Advisors for Study About Intergenerational Queer Friendship
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