Federal government extends $2.68M for Yukon’s community‑driven health research
Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, May 19, 2026
The Yukon’s patient‑oriented research hub has secured new federal support, extending its operations for two more years and signalling the federal government’s continued interest in community‑driven health research in the North.
Yukon University announced in April that the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research will receive $2.68 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, allowing the unit to operate until March 2028.
Patient‑oriented research is a federal approach that involves patients, families and communities in shaping research questions and priorities. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research says the model is meant to ensure studies reflect local needs and move evidence more quickly into frontline care.
In a May 19 interview, Yukon Member of Parliament Brendan Hanley said the renewed funding reflects the federal government’s commitment to patient‑oriented research and to ensuring that health research priorities are grounded in community needs, rather than being driven solely by academic institutions and researchers.
Hanley said the federal patient‑oriented research approach is meant to flip the model of traditional, researcher‑driven projects by grounding them in patient experience and local needs.
“The closer you get to the community, the more relevant to that community the research could potentially be. So, it’s really sort of trying to get beyond some of the traditional models of health research,” Hanley said.
He added that the extension signals that community and patient-driven health research in the North remains a federal priority, even though national funding programs typically operate on three to five-year cycles.
Yukon University said the extension will support the territory’s health‑research ecosystem by supporting junior researchers, expanding community‑led projects, and helping organizations translate data into practical tools such as plain‑language summaries, workshops, and community learning events.
Michelle Leach, scientific director of the unit, said in the release that the funding reflects the Yukon patient‑oriented research hub’s strengths, adding that its work is grounded in reconciliation, respect, and shared learning.
Hanley highlighted the Junior Researcher program as a distinctive feature of the Yukon unit, calling it unique among patient‑oriented research sites. He said it gives students career‑building, hands‑on experience in community‑based projects, from improving health‑care accessibility in Dawson City to finding ways to bring traditional medicine and Indigenous knowledge into the health‑care system.
The university said the funding will also support people with lived experience, non‑profits, and First Nations governments in leading their own research. That includes mentorship, training, and funding for Indigenous health initiatives.
The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research requires matching contributions from non‑federal partners. Yukon University said the successful application was developed with support from territorial departments, the Chief Medical Officer of Health, youth organizations, evaluators, and women’s groups.
Hanley said there is still room to grow in how Canada funds and supports health research, including doing more to attract researchers from places where funding is being cut. He pointed to researchers leaving more challenging research environments, particularly in the United States, and said Canada should aim to be a welcoming destination for them.
He said Canada still needs to do more to support health research, including investment in grant funding, training and teaching support, and innovation across a health‑care system that is changing. Watching the Yukon unit flourish has been very gratifying, he added, highlighting his role in supporting its early development as the territory’s chief medical officer of health.
The university said the funding will help ensure research serves communities and contributes to a healthier future.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com