Masters Student Summer Research Assistant Internship

Department: Faculty of Community Services
Position supervisor: Dr. Karen Soldatic, Canada Excellence Research Chair: Health and Community Wellbeing; Valerie Grand’Maison, Director of Research at DAWN
Contract length: 15 weeks, May 2024 start
Hours of work per week: 35
Position type: Non-Union Research Assistant (summer student)
Rate of pay: $25.25/hr

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational environment, visit www.torontomu.ca , check out @TorontoMet (external link)  , @TorontoMetHR (external link)  and @ECItorontomet (external link)  on Twitter, and visit our LinkedIn company page (external link)  .

This student research internship is a shared partnership between the Canada Excellence Research Chair - Health Equity and Community Wellbeing and DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada.

The Canada Excellence Research Chair in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing (CERC) program is a transformative research initiative that employs an engaged community partnership approach to expand our understanding, practice, and delivery of health outcomes for all members of our communities.

The CERC in Health Equity and Community Wellbeing is led by professor Karen Soldatic. Collaborating closely with a network of health-care institutions, service providers, and civil society organizations, the program aims for a paradigm shift – one that challenges a siloed, expert-driven approach to health and well-being and moves instead towards a community-engaged, preventative model of well-being.

Uniquely applying a critical disability lens, the research program aims to not only reduce health disparities that are inextricable from their social contexts, but to embed community knowledge into health-care institutions, systems and models of delivery. Visit https://www.torontomu.ca/cerc-health-equity/about/ for more information.

The DisAbled Women’s Network (DAWN) Canada is a national, feminist, cross-disability organization whose mission is to end the poverty, isolation, discrimination and violence experienced by women and gender-diverse people with disabilities and those who are Deaf. Our overarching strategic theme is one of leadership, partnership and networking to engage all levels of government and the wider disability and women’s sectors and other stakeholders in addressing our key issues.

This is a student Research Assistant internship position in collaboration with the leading national women with disabilities organization DAWN Canada. The aim is to develop your capacity to apply rigorous health equity research approaches to real world health justice issues that impact upon the experiences and outcomes for women and diverse people with disability in Canada when engaging with frontline health and medical professionals, including nurse practitioners, family doctors (GPs), and other health service professionals. 

We are seeking a TMU Master’s student undertaking research with a focus on women and gender-diverse people with disabilities and healthcare accessibility. The purpose of this research is to gain an understanding of factors that impact women and gender diverse people with disabilities’ accessibility, experience and outcomes associated with family doctor attendance.  

The student’s research must align with the CERC + DAWN Canada’s ethical commitments to intersectionality and disability gendered justice and contribute to the promotion of rights of women, girls, and gender-diverse people with disabilities that align with the aims and objectives of the CERC Health Equity & Community Wellbeing. Students with disabilities are encouraged to apply. The student is expected to contribute knowledge translation activities that promote the policy and advocacy goal of DAWN Canada & CERC Health Equity and Community Wellbeing. 

Location: DAWN Canada Headquarters, Montréal. Students are responsible for finding their own accommodation and living arrangements during their time.

• Demonstrated ongoing enrollment in a TMU Master’s program of relevance (Public Health, Nursing etc)
• Demonstrated engagement and/or interest in disability health justice issues from intersectional perspectives
• Proven ability to research and compile academic sources relevant to the outlined topics
• Willingness to work collaboratively with researchers with disabilities in an NGO environment.
• Preparedness to learn from and contribute to DAWN Canada’s and the CERC Health Equity + Community Wellbeing’s overall mission. 
• Capacity to adopt and incorporate the research principles, aims and objectives of the CERC Health Equity & Community Wellbeing into internship deliverables.
• Experience and/or interested in understanding, conceptualizing, and/or conducting quantitative survey research in addition to literature reviews, ethics applications and required research protocols. 
• Strong communications skills and interest in developing knowledge translation activities such as creating policy information briefs, info graphic summaries and other advocacy communication devices. 
• Strong interpersonal skills including the capacity to work with culturally diverse communities with varied needs;
• Commitment to accessibility and anti-ableism;
• Time management and organization skills;
• Advanced writing skills with editing and proofreading ability;
• Computer skills (notably word processing and library/research resource capacities);

• Knowledge of French, ASL, LSQ, ISL, or another language relevant to the work of DAWN and its members. 
• Previous experience writing academic papers including literature reviews and/or annotated bibliographies;
• Basic understanding and/or experience of civil society organizations committed to issues of social justice and rights 
• Basic understanding and/or experience in engaging in policy dialogue at the provincial, territorial, and/or federal levels. 
• Experience with or interest in learning Zotero, Redcap, and other relevant software

Please email your application to [email protected] by 5pm, May 3, 2024. 

Gendering Disability Healthcare Accessibility: Master Student Paid Research Internship - “your name” and include the following documents in a single word or .pdf file: 

• a brief CV (2-4 pages)
• cover letter that clearly indicates your why you are interested in this internship (max 2 pages)
• two potential references (references will be contacted for preferred applicants only)

• We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at [email protected] .
• Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
• We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process,please reach out to Human Resources: 
• All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.