In memory of Natalie Beavis, Proud Trent alumna and former PRHC Director.
Fund supports applied, cross-organizational research partnerships advancing healthcare innovation and student training
Peterborough, ON – Trent University and Peterborough Regional Health Centre (PRHC) are proud to announce the launch of the Natalie Beavis Collaborative Research Grant – a new funding initiative designed to strengthen applied research partnerships and accelerate real-world impact across both institutions.
Named in memory of Natalie Beavis, a proud Trent alumna and former PRHC Director who championed collaborative research and innovation, the grant reflects her enduring legacy of leadership and commitment to advancing knowledge and care.
The program provides up to $21,525 in total funding, including $14,025 in cash support and $5,000 to $7,500 in matching funds through Mitacs Accelerate or Business Strategy Internship (BSI) programs. Projects will be supported for up to 12 months, with embedded student research trainees engaged for four-to-six-month internships, ensuring a strong focus on mentorship and experiential learning.
“This grant is a meaningful way to honour Natalie and the spirit of collaboration she embodied,” said Evan Lyons, Executive Vice President, Digital Services, Strategy & Transformation at PRHC. “By bringing together researchers, clinicians, and students, PRHC and Trent are building on the momentum of our recent Collider event and taking the next step toward a more connected and impactful research ecosystem.”
The initiative builds directly on the PRHC x Trent Collider event held earlier this year, where more than 100 clinicians, researchers, and faculty members came together to share current projects, spark new ideas, build relationships, and lay the groundwork for initiatives such as this grant to translate ideas into action.
Eligible projects must include collaborators from both Trent University and PRHC, involve at least one research trainee, and demonstrate clear impact beyond academia, such as improvements in healthcare delivery, operational insight, policy relevance, or innovation potential. Applications will be reviewed by a committee representing both organizations.
“The healthcare needs of our region and the province require greater contributions of highly educated and experienced professionals,” said Dr. Tana Allen, vice-president of Research & Innovation at Trent University. “Our partnership with PRHC enables faculty to contribute research expertise to improve care and facilitates professional opportunities for students to prepare to work in the field. This grant is a fitting tribute to Natalie Beavis and her belief in the impact of collaboration.”
In addition to the grant, PRHC and Trent have also recently launched a new Research Community of Practice – a forum for ongoing knowledge exchange, collaboration, and development of future projects.
The grant is now open for submissions, with a deadline of Friday, October 2 at 5:00 p.m. For more information about Research at PRHC, including details of the new grant, visit: https://www.prhc.on.ca/about-us/research-at-prhc/
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About Trent University
One of Canada’s top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal of interactive learning that’s personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, hands-on research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent’s unique approach to personal development through supportive, collaborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent’s students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues.
Trent’s Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
About Peterborough Regional Health Centre
- With 500 inpatient beds, PRHC is a regional acute care referral centre serving one of the fastest-growing and aging populations in Canada across a broad urban and rural geography extending north to Haliburton, south to Northumberland, east to Quinte, and west to Durham.
- Our 2024-2029 Strategic Plan highlights our commitment to build our teaching and research focus. Learn more about PRHC’s strategic plan here.
- PRHC is working to meet the growing demand for care in our community and region. With the support of generous donors through the PRHC Foundation, we aim to empower world-class care, closer to home; fuel innovation and bring new, life-saving services to our region; attract the best and brightest healthcare professionals; and find solutions to critical hospital challenges. Find out more about the Campaign for PRHC here.
For more information:
Michelene Ough | Director, Communications & Public Affairs | Peterborough Regional Health Centre mough@prhc.on.ca
Celia Ernst | Assistant Director, Communications | Trent University | celiaernst@trentu.ca
