Kenjgewin Teg receives institutional eligibility from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
M’CHIGEENG FIRST NATION (September 15, 2026) — Kenjgewin Teg has achieved institutional grant eligibility from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), marking an important milestone in the growth of its new research department and its commitment to Anishinaabe-led research.
CIHR is Canada’s federal health research funding agency, supporting research that strengthens health systems and the well-being of Canadians. Institutional eligibility allows Kenjgewin Teg to administer CIHR grants and awards, opening new opportunities for research partnerships.
This milestone builds upon Kenjgewin Teg’s growing role in higher education Anishinaabe research leadership. In 2023, Kenjgewin Teg received institutional eligibility from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), establishing its capacity to administer research funding in the social sciences and humanities. The addition of CIHR eligibility further expands the areas in which Kenjgewin Teg can begin to support and lead research using Anishinaabe methodologies and frameworks.
In May 2026, Kenjgewin Teg also welcomed the Manitoulin Anishinaabek Research Review Committee (MARRC) as part of Kenjgewin Teg’s research ethics body. With roots dating back to 2001, MARRC was established to help ensure that research involving First Nations communities reflects Anishinaabe ethics, cultural safety, and community priorities. Its Guidelines for Ethical Aboriginal Research (GEAR) continue to provide a community-based framework for reviewing research proposals.
Together, these developments are helping to build a stronger foundation for Anishinaabe research on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island). Research that is guided by community priorities, Indigenous knowledge systems, ethical practices, and a responsibility to protect and strengthen knowledge for future generations.
“Research can be mystifying at first, but at its core, it’s about ‘making meaning’ and getting to a greater understanding of why things are happening or not happening. In our context of Anishinaabe higher education, for Kenjgewin Teg, this new funding eligibility status from CIHR will allow us to bring forth and expand our conversations about holistic health and wellness for learners and their communities, wellness models, and Mino Bimaadziwin – all from our Anishinaabe worldview lens,” said Dr. Beverley Roy, President of Kenjgewin Teg. “We are at an exciting place and time in our work!”
For Kenjgewin Teg’s Director of Research, Dr. Amy Shawanda, the milestone marks an important step in strengthening Kenjgewin Teg’s capacity to lead and support health research in the community and across Mnidoo Mnising.
“I am excited about the ongoing research opportunities for Kenjgewin Teg and our communities on Mnidoo Mnising,” shared Dr. Shawanda. “Kenjgewin Teg can now hold health research funding directly from the CIHR, which will expand the scope of health studies on Manitoulin Island and beyond. We will continue to build the infrastructure towards research sovereignty. With this new funding agreement, Kenjgewin Teg holds two of the three federal granting agency eligibilities in Canada, alongside our existing standing with SSHRC. We are the first Indigenous Institute in Ontario to hold both. We have been a generous research partner for decades as a research site. We are growing as a research institution.”
As Kenjgewin Teg continues to expand its research leadership, it remains committed to building research relationships rooted in respect, reciprocity, cultural safety, and community direction.
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About Kenjgewin Teg
Kenjgewin Teg is an Anishinabek place of learning for all with campuses on Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island) in
Northern Ontario and in Sudbury, Ontario. Grounded in the rich history, ancestral knowledge, stories, and traditional
teachings of the land, Kenjgewin Teg is dedicated to nurturing students’ identities and sharing the richness of Anishinabek
language (Anishinaabemowin), culture, and tradition with the world.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Robin Anderson
Marketing and Communications Specialist
Robinanderson@kenjgewinteg.ca
705-370-4342 ext 214