BU Research Blog

Week commencing 18 June saw me attending a research retreat at the University of Saskatchewan, Canada, building on successful collaboration with Canadian colleagues (via 2 CIHR development grants) established around 5 years ago my colleague Professor Debra Morgan is now leading a large programme grant application to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) which would allow for comparative work to be conducted in Dorset and Canada around community based dementia services. As well as academic meetings discussing the content, focus and budgetary implications of the programme of work there was a one day ‘Stakeholder’ event where decision makers debated the merits of the four strands of the programme of proposed work. This was a fantastic example of public engagement in writing a programme grant and the opening presentation I gave about the UK dementia strategies and implementation plans were very well received. It is always good to have synergy between work going on in different places and to learn from one another. Canadian colleagues were very complimentary about the policy level work that has been established within the UK, but some of the practical initiatives occuring in rural Canada are very much at the forefront of quality dementia care provision. Here’s hoping we secure the grant award!