FASS Researcher Awarded CIHR Project Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Vivian Lee (Psychology, Nominated Principal Applicant) and Dr. Karen Sewell (School of Social Work, Principal Applicant) who were awarded a Project Grant by the Canadian Institute for Health Sciences (CIHR) in the Spring 2026 competition! 

The project focuses on the Stop Now and Plan Program (SNAP), a Canadian, evidence-based, multi-component cognitive behavioural intervention for children with disruptive behaviours and their parents. Autistic children and their parents have been historically excluded from family-focused mental health interventions, such as SNAP, perpetuating inequities in care. An adjusted version for autistic children has shown promise in feasibility studies and Lee and Sewell will conduct a pilot randomized clinical trial in community settings to capture child, parent, and facilitator satisfaction with the program and the randomized clinical trial procedures. This will inform the development and implementation of a full randomized clinical trial that could improve mental health care, service delivery, and policy for children and families with autism. 

The CIHR Project Grant supports ideas with the greatest potential to advance health-related fundamental or applied knowledge, health research, health care, health systems and/or health outcomes.