Beyond the Battlefield: A CIMVHR Conversation on Military, Veteran and Family Health

Episode 1 - Military Family Mobility: Challenges, Opportunities and Collaboration for Health and Well-being

The inaugural conversation of Beyond the Battlefield: A CIMVHR Conversation on Military, Veteran and Family Health will explore the unique experiences, challenges and strengths of military and Veteran families. These families play a vital role in the well-being and resilience of those who serve—and their own health and stability are equally important to the broader Defence and public health ecosystem.

This discussion brings together voices from research, policy and lived experience to highlight how evidence is being translated into action to improve family health outcomes in military and Veteran communities.

CIMVHR Forum 2026

The Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research works to enhance the health and well-being for the diverse population of Canada's military personnel, Veterans, public safety personnel and their families. By engaging academic and government research resources, fostering new research, and promoting knowledge translation, CIMVHR plays a crucial role in addressing this population's unique risks and needs.

Annually, CIMVHR Forum serves as a platform for thought leaders across various sectors to exchange insights, collaborate, and showcase advancements in research and ideas for the betterment of our military personnel, Veterans and their families.

CIMVHR Forum 2026 will take place on October 19-21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

CIMVHR: Serving those who serve us.

Halifax Engagement Session

9:00 AM – 1:30 PM ADT

Join us on March 24, 2026 to hear from military, Veteran and family health researchers in your area. This engagement session will offer you the opportunity to connect and engage with CIMVHR researchers, CIMVHR’s Scientific Leadership team and network with academics in your community.

Oceans of Data: Navigating and Advancing Canadian Veteran Health Research Infrastructure

Co-hosted by the Chronic Pain Centre of Excellence for Canadian Veterans (CPCoE) and Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research

Tuesday, March 24, 2026 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM ADT | The Westin Nova Scotian, Halifax (Hybrid)

Join CPCoE for this hybrid adjunct afternoon session following the CIMVHR Halifax Engagement Session. Researchers, policy makers, research funders and Veterans will come together to address a critical question: how do we identify and study Veterans in Canada's complex health data landscape?

Free to attend, in person or virtually (this session will also have a hybrid option available).

Register below.

Charlottetown Engagement Session

9:00 AM - 1:30 PM ADT

Join us on March 26, 2026 to hear from military, Veteran and family health researchers in your area. The engagement session will offer you the opportunity to connect and engage with CIMVHR researchers, CIMVHR’s Scientific leadership team and network with academics in your community. 

Pathways to Impact: A SPEC Knowledge translation Event

SPEC Event: Pathways to Impact - A Knowledge Translation Event
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM EST | Virtual (Zoom)

This session brings the SPEC community together to explore effective knowledge translation practices and enhance the real‑world impact of research. Featuring insights from guest speakers across CIMVHR, CIPSRT, and the Atlas Institute, the event offers an engaging forum to share strategies for moving research into practice and provides an informal space for participants to discuss ongoing or recently completed research projects.

 

Creating Community Amongst Emerging Scholars in Canadian Military, Veteran, Public Safety and Family Health Fields: A SPEC symposium

This Student and Postdoctoral Engagement Community (SPEC) led conference,  will guide participants through the development of abstracts, peer review process, familiarization with presenting online, and presenting. At each stage, we will provide professional development (i.e., writing abstracts and conducting peer review). Our overarching goal is to provide a space where SPEC members can share their work and connect with others while developing academic skills necessary for success as an independent scholar. 

Abstract Submission (due December 10, 2025): https://bit.ly/47RqsVB

Date: Feb 26, 2026

Registration: $0.00

Venue: Zoom

Graduate Course MPA583 - Issues in the Health of Military Personnel, Veterans and their Families

The RMCC, in collaboration with CIMVHR, offers an annual webinar that can be used as a Masters or PhD credit for students registered in a post-graduate degree.

During this course, students will learn about the health issues associated with military experience, which also includes both Veterans and military families. 

As a weekly webinar, the course will include presentations from Canadian specialists who will contextualize military mental and physical health needs and introduce theoretical and methodological approaches to conducting applied health research among this population.

Course schedule:

Every Tuesday 18:30-21:30 synchronously offered on-line via the RMC Moodle teaching platform.
 

Registration for Winter Courses is open from 17 Nov to 9 Jan.

Courses run from 6 Jan to 31 March.

Know Your Research Population - Insights and Strategies for Families

Are you conducting research on public safety personnel (PSP) and military families?

Join us for a SPEC Event: Know Your Research Population - Insights and Strategies for Families—a virtual event designed to help researchers better understand and engage with these unique communities.

What to expect:
• Insights from psp and military families
• Practical advice for conducting research ethically and effectively
• Opportunities to connect with peers and share ideas

Key Details
Date: November 18
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM EST
Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn, connect and strengthen your research practices.

CIMVHR Forum 2025 - SAVE THE DATE

Ottawa, Ontario

October 20-22, 2025

SPEC Event | Speed Mentoring: Fast Chats, Big Insights

Are you a student? Do you have questions? Of course you do! This event is designed to bring SPEC members and CIMVHR mentors together to listen, learn and discuss a series of professional development topics. Based upon the model of speed-dating, our speed-mentoring event places mentors in their own virtual room with a specific topic. Mentees will rotate through these rooms.  

Who - Existing SPEC members and those interested in joining.  

When - September 23, 2025, 6:30 - 8:00 PM EST 

Where - Zoom

 

SPEC Event: Know Your Research Population - Insights and Strategies for Public Safety Personnel

Navigating research within Public Safety Personnel presents unique challenges and opportunities. Do you want to conduct research with Public Safety Personnel? Or perhaps more practical questions related to the how of your research? Our goal is to allow you to learn about your research population from someone with lived experience.

Location: Zoom

SPEC Event- CIMVHR Forum Abstract Workshop

Thursday, April 3, 2025

6:30 PM - 8:00 PM ET

It is our pleasure to invite you to the third annual SPEC Forum Abstract Workshop. Please join us on April 3rd to receive general information on presenting at CIMVHR Forum, receive personalized feedback from qualitative and quantitative subject matters experts, and get your questions answered. Please have a draft of your abstract prepared prior to the event to get the most out of the workshop.

Ottawa Engagement Session

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

9:00 AM – 1:30 PM ET

Join us on April 1, 2025 to hear from military, Veteran and family health researchers in your area. This engagement session will offer you the opportunity to connect and engage with CIMVHR researchers, CIMVHR’s Scientific Leadership team, and network with academics in your community.

Montreal Engagement Session

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM ET

Join us on March 25, 2025 to hear from military, Veteran and family health researchers in your area. This engagement session will offer you the opportunity to connect and engage with CIMVHR researchers, CIMVHR’s Scientific Leadership team, and network with academics in your community.

SPEC Event: Breaking into Publishing with JMVFH

Thursday, February 27 at 6:30 PM EST

In this professional development webinar, SPEC is partnering with CIMVHR's Journal of Military, Veteran and Family Health (JMVFH) to provide an overview of how to publish in academic journals. Using JMVFH as an example, this session will provide you with best practices for submitting articles and the common reasons papers are rejected. SPEC members are invited to bring their draft abstracts for review and any questions for discussion. Sonya Walton, JMVFH Managing Editor and Maxime Valsamas, Publications Coordinator, will host this event.

UNLOCKING THE MIND: The role of Psychedelic Medicine in Modern Mental Health

Unlocking the Mind: The Role of Psychedelic Medicine in Modern Mental Health - Col (Retd) Rakesh Jetly, CD, MD. With introduction by Stéphanie Bélanger, CD, PhD, Associate Scientific Director of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research. Presented at the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston ON, Dec 2, 2024.
 

SPEC Event - Know Your Research Population – Canadian Armed Forces

Tuesday, November 19, 2024, at 6:00 PM EST

Evolving Veterans' Care: Addressing the Complex Health Needs of a New Generation

November 12, 2024 at 12:00 PM EST

SAVE THE DATE – CIMVHR Forum 2024

Winnipeg, Manitoba

October 21-23, 2024

SPEC Town Hall

May 28, 2024

1:30 PM to 2:30 PM

Virtual event

SPEC - Student Abstract Workshop

Join the CIMVHR SPEC and experts for a Student Abstract Workshop.

April 9, 2024

1:00PM to 2:30PM ET

Virtual event

Winnipeg Engagement Session

April 3, 2024

9:30 AM to 1:30 PM CST

Delta Hotels by Marriott Winnipeg

Lunch will be provided. Register today!

Measurement-based care (MBC) in mental health and addiction. Why is it still not standard of care?

April 3, 2024

2:00 PM to 4:30 PM CST

Delta Hotels by Marriott Winnipeg

Kingston Engagement Session

March 20, 2024

10:00 AM to 1:40 PM ET

Holiday Inn Kingston Waterfront

Lunch will be provided. Register today!