UCalgary receives $2.5M grant to improve navigation of support systems for multiple neurodivergent communities

Researchers at the University of Calgary have received a $2.5-million Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Partnership Grant grant to help neurodivergent individuals and their families find and access the supports they need.

Neurodivergence includes developmental conditions such as autism, intellectual disability, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, fragile X syndrome and cerebral palsy. 

Dr. David Nicholas, BSW’85, MSW’88, PhD, acting dean of the Faculty of Social Work says despite the availability of many services, there are not enough to meet the full range and extent of needs. 

“Individuals and families often face a patchwork of services with significant barriers to access, leaving many to fend for themselves.” 

Nicholas will serve as the project’s primary investigator, with a multidisciplinary team of researchers and partners.

He brings extensive expertise in neurodevelopmental research, including holding a co-lead role in the Azrieli Accelerator: a UCalgary initiative focused on collaborative research in neurodevelopmental conditions. He is joined by project co-director, Social Work and Community Health Sciences professor Dr. Caroline Tait, PhD, plus a team of UCalgary researchers, national scholars, partners and individuals with lived experience, all of whom are focused on service navigation and other related areas of support and advocacy.

The team will collaborate on research, training and knowledge sharing, as well as pilot complementary approaches to service navigation. 

The aim is to develop a more co-ordinated, accessible system that makes it easier for individuals and families to find, access and move through the supports they need. 

Laying the groundwork for community well-being

With funding over six years, the project team will work with rural, northern, Indigenous, newcomer, settlement and urban communities to tackle barriers that prevent timely and equitable access to services for neurodivergent individuals and their families.

It will explore phased and integrated approaches, such as the engagement of online service listings, peer-based resources, and the development of navigator training and capacity building.

“People thriving in their community on their terms, that’s what this project is about,” Nicholas says.

Leading change for a better tomorrow

The partnership grant is one of many examples of the work and research happening at UCalgary that drives meaningful change. 

Nicholas says success will mean stronger connections between a wide range of partners across communities and relevant sectors, as well as community-developed strategies to make services more accessible.

It will also mean identifying key service gaps while advocating for the resources needed to address them. 

The project embodies the priorities of UCalgary’s strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow, tackling critical societal challenges with proactive, collaborative and impactful solutions. 

 “Our research at the University of Calgary is all about making this world a better place,” says Nicholas.