Special Research Call:
Scoping Reviews

Objectives

This special call encourages research projects that focus on literature synthesis/scoping reviews with accompanying knowledge dissemination activities focused on public healthcare access needs of English-speaking minority communities in Québec. Priority will be given to proposals that examine service delivery models, professional retention challenges in remote regions, and/or system-level strategies aimed at improving equitable access to care for these populations.

We particularly encourage literature reviews, environmental scans, and comparative analyses that examine promising practices in Québec, Canada, and internationally—so long as they clearly connect to the experiences of English-speaking Quebecers and offer actionable insights for implementation in the Québec context.

Specific objectives of this call are to:

• Synthesize original research, gray literature, and/or policy statements that address systemic language barriers related to accessing health and social services in English;

• Identify and assess strategies to improve recruitment and/or retention of bilingual health and psychosocial services professionals, particularly in remote and underserved regions;

• Support the creation of policy-relevant knowledge products, including reports, recommendations, and models that can inform future program development;

• Strengthen the dissemination of findings by producing measurable knowledge outputs each year (e.g., publications, reports, public presentations);

• Promote the uptake of research findings to the public domain, including publication on Dialogue McGill's website and through stakeholder engagement activities (e.g., workshops, events, publications).

Eligibility

The principal applicant must be an independent researcher affiliated with a Québec institution with a research ethics office (e.g., university, research institute, clinical settings). Postdoctoral fellows with a formal university appointment are eligible to apply (if granted, the postdoctoral fellow’s supervisor will formally be the fund holder). Affiliation confirmation must be established prior to submitting the application. Project proposals with researchers at institutions outside Québec and Canada are eligible, provided that the Principal Investigator is based in Québec, the funds are managed and disbursed by the Québec-based institution, and the subject matter relates to the Québec health care sector.

Research Proposal Requirements

1. Research proposals must align with Dialogue McGill’s Research Program objectives and demonstrate an anticipated impact on the accessibility or delivery of health and social services for English-speaking communities in Québec.

2. All projects must produce clear and actionable outputs—such as recommendations and best practices—to support Dialogue McGill’s ongoing mandate.

3. Successful applicants will be required to present their work at one of Dialogue McGill’s annual conferences.

4. A final written report, or policy brief, containing actionable recommendations will be required upon project completion. This report will be publicly accessible and published on the Dialogue McGill website.

Important note: Projects that involve literature or evidence reviews are strongly encouraged to use systematic review methods whenever appropriate. All review-based proposals must clearly describe the methods and define the scope of the review (e.g., number of sources, inclusion criteria, search strategy, etc.).

Examples of Eligible Projects

• Systematic or scoping reviews of service delivery models that improve language-concordant care for English-speaking populations in Québec, with clear recommendations for adaptation and implementation.

• Comparative analyses of retention strategies for bilingual health and social service professionals in remote or underserved areas, emphasizing applicability to the Québec context.

• Literature syntheses on the impact of provider language fluency on health outcomes, particularly for English-speaking minority communities.

• Reviews of training and education programs aimed at increasing provider capacity to serve English-speaking clients, including evaluations of effectiveness and scalability.

• Environmental scans of digital health tools, telehealth platforms, or data systems that enhance accessibility for English-speaking populations.

• Policy-focused reviews that examine system-level strategies for improving equitable access to care, including legislative or organizational reforms in Québec, Canada, and internationally.

Ethics Approval

Dialogue McGill welcomes research proposals that already have received research ethics approval or are exempt at the time of application. If an ethics application is pending, applicants must clearly state how the research project and knowledge dissemination activities will be completed by March 31, 2027.

How to Apply

Please e-mail the completed application form, Curriculum Vitae for each investigator, and all other supporting documents to research.dialoguemcgill@mcgill.ca by September 1st, 2025.

Applications may be submitted in English or French.

Funding Announcement

Funding results will be announced in October 2025. For approved projects beginning prior to September 2025, funding will be retroactive to April 1, 2025.

Queries

For any questions regarding this funding call, please email research.dialoguemcgill@mcgill.ca