Community-Based Research Certificate Course: Fundamentals and Excellence
Would you like to gain skills in research that can transform the world for the better? Do you want to co-design equitable research that contributes to stronger, more responsive, and sustainable communities (especially for those members who are marginalized)? The Community-Based Research Certificate Course: Fundamentals and Excellence will enhance your research capacity with theory, methods, and tools for conducting research with communities. Facilitated by leaders in community-based research, this interactive 8-week synchronous course will take a deep dive into theory that guides this research approach and into practical applications of conducting community-based research. In a small-cohort, you will learn through a combination of lectures, case examples, and group discussions.
Your learnings will culminate in the opportunity to develop your own community-based research proposal, applying what you've learned to a topic you are interested in and receiving feedback from your peers and course instructors. Upon completion, you will receive a certificate from Community Based Research Canada that will recognize your learnings in community-based research and support you on your path as a community-based researcher.
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Fall 2025 registration is now open!
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What you will learn:
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Theoretical frameworks for community-based research
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How to engage stakeholders and center communities in research
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Community-based research approaches to research design and methods
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Ethical issues in community-based research
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Knowledge sharing and community mobilization for impact
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Planning for and assessing excellence in community-based research
Who should take this course:​
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Professionals working in government, community organizations, academia, or non-profits who use or oversee research to advance the mission and future directions of their organizations and communities
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Graduate students, faculty, and research staff who apply or are interested in applying a community-based research approach in their research projects
Requirements:​
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Research background, including previous education in research design and methods
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Interest in conducting research collaboratively with communities that aims to create societal change
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Previous community-based research experience is not required
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Course participants in past cohorts have included faculty members, post-doctoral researchers, PhD and graduate students, research office staff, and professionals within research-related positions in non-profits organizations and government.
Testimonials:
100% of participants would recommend this course to others
Quick Details:​
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Location: Online (Zoom)
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Format: Synchronous and collaborative
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Duration: 8 weeks
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Instructors: Joanna Ochocka and Amanda Demmer, (from CBRCanada) with special guests
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Course Outline:
Week 1: Welcome, and Introduction to Community-Based Research
Week 2: Overview of Community-Based Research Fundamentals and Excellence
Week 3: Engage Partners and Build Relationships (Phase 1)
Week 4: Research Design, Methods, and Analysis Planning (Phase 2)
Week 5: Ethical Data Gathering and Analysis (Phase 3)
Week 6: Knowledge Mobilization in Community-Based Research (Phase 4)
Week 7: Tensions, Opportunities, & Quality in Community-Based Research
Week 8: Presentations, Reflections, and Course Closing
Course Instructors
Joanna Ochocka
Executive Director
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Amanda Demmer
Learning Specialist & Program Coordinator
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To dive deeper into specific concepts related to community-based research beyond CBRCanada's Fundamentals and Excellence Certificate Course, explore the Certificate Program in Community-Based Research offered by the Centre for Community-Based Research (CCBR). This program offers courses on specific areas such as "Research Ethics in Community Settings", or "Arts-based Methods for Collective Action", for which our Fundamentals and Excellence Certificate Course acts as a pre-requisire.
Congratulations to the First Cohort Graduates!
Bonaventure Egbujie (University of Waterloo)
Gustavo Betini (University of Waterloo)
Meagan Reid (Bow Valley Immigration Partnership)
Melissa Ziraldo (University of Waterloo)
Nina Bennett (Justice Institute of British Columbia)
Reem Mulla (University of Waterloo)
Robyn Hall (MacEwan University)
Sheelagh Chadwick (Brandon University)
Melissa Ziraldo (University of Waterloo)
Sydney Sheloff (Edmonton Social Planning Council)
Congratulations to the Second Cohort Graduates!
Brenlea Farkas (University of Calgary)
​Caitie Thompson (University of Toronto)
Dianna Williams (Food for Life)
Elizabeth Suen (The Department of National Defense)
Fiorella Rabuffetti (University of Ottawa)
Foluso Fagbamiye (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)
Keith Leung (Kwantlen Polytechnic University
Sandra Zelinsky (University of Calgary)
Shana Shubs (York University)
Sonja Smith (Health Quality Council of Alberta)
Stacey Silins (The Department of National Defense)
Sue Fairburn (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)
Victor Martinez (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)
Congratulations to the Third Cohort Graduates!
Mary Hartman (Ontario Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Strategy
Ashley Hutchinson (Lambton College)
Grace Gomeshie (University of Waterloo)
Faye Labelle (Independent Consultant)
Camila Balboa (MacEwan University)
Kate Kittredge (Community Planner)
Thomas Brothers (Dalhousie University)
Carolyn Zieglar (Peer Researcher)
Padmini Roberts (Community Development Council Durham)
Niket Shukla (City of Brantford)
Glenice Deterville (Brandon University)
Anna Rodrigues (Ontario Tech University)
Helin Burkay (Government of Canada)
Congratulations to the Fourth Cohort Graduates!
Priscilla Medeiros (University of Toronto)
Everly Javier (Krasman Centre)
Jennifer Morin (Red River College)
Herleen Arora (South Asian & Tamil Women's Collective)
Christy Anderson (University of Manitoba)
Brittany Finigan (Trent University)
Janell Uden (Edmonton Social Planning Council)
Pam Crotty (Young Adult Cancer Canada)
Megan Butler (Public Health Agency of Canada)
Jacob Bigio (Public Health Agency of Canada)
Elle West (Town of Canmore)
Benjamin Nii Badu Lartey (Simon Fraser University)
Maria do Carmo Correia de Lima (Université de Montréal)
Aisha Sada (University of Ottawa)
Maryam Nesari (MacEwan University)
Natalie Pearce (Connect Wetaskiwin)
Congratulations to the Fifth Cohort Graduates!
Ariel Stables-Kennedy (McMaster University)
Branka Turnbull (NorQuest College)
Catriona Hippman (University of Calgary)
David Lightfoot
Kevin Holmes (Algonquin College)
Lan Chan-Marples (University of Alberta)
Lisa Harripersad (Georgian College)
Marveh Farhoodi (Ethnomad)
Miah Wang (Concordia University)
Michelle Christian (University of Toronto)
Mike Des Jardins (Tamarack Institute)
Monica Palkowski (McMaster University)
Reva George (NorQuest College)
Shaun Alfonso (Georgian College)
Steph Wiafe (Pivot Legal)
Tania Khan
Zainul Abideen Kamili (Georgian College)
Congratulations to the Special Cohort from the Osler Researcher Institute for Health Innovation
Angel Petropanagos
Augustina Ampofo
Ayodele Ekanade
Azee Gill
Banita Aggarwal
Champica Nicholas
Claudia Stewart
Dariush Shateri
Diksha Katoch
Gabriela Villanueva
Harene Buvanesan
Irene Chen
Janice Thompson
Joy Anne Gatmaitan
Lynn Vicente
Naomi Wokocha
Paola Cubillos
Patti Rempel
Rakhi Mistry
Sarah Kamal Eddin
Shurabi Anphalagan
Simrat Soni
Sofia Ramirez
Syna Thakur
Tulsidai Ramdass
Vinayak Lad
Congratulations to the Sixth Cohort Graduates!
Akhil Shaji Babu (Community Sector Council of Newfoundland and Labrador)
Gurpreet Salh (Sunny Hill Health Centre)
Jacinthe Poisson (Service aux collectivités)
Julia Szweda (NorQuest college)
Karley Wulf (University Health Network)
Kim Mosby (Vera Institute of Justice)
Lina Hammad
Lindsay Buchanan (Dairy Farmers of Canada)
Maresi Starzmann (Vera Institute of Justice)
Meaghan Peuramaki-Brown (Athabasca University)
Nicole Diakite (McMaster University)
Rosann Edwards (University of New Brunswick)
Sarah Visser (PEI Alliance for Mental Well-Being)
Sean Maurice (University of Norther British Columbia)
Stella Tronciu (CBRCanada)
Stephanie Field (Memorial University of Newfoundland)
Sushil Saini (The Victoria Foundation)