The GROW North Program: Grounding Research in Our Work

The GROW North Program — a collaboration between the Department of Family Medicine and the Office of Rural and Regional Health — is a two-year program that provides specialized research training to rural family physicians in central/northern Alberta and the Territories, enabling them to overcome geographic barriers, pursue community-relevant research, and leverage their local expertise to drive meaningful change and make meaningful contributions to the wider field of medical scholarship.

Program Structure

GROW North uses a blended learning model combining in-person and online sessions. Participants receive continuous support, including pairing with a dedicated research mentor and access to the program team throughout their journey.

Year 1

Year 1 consists of six learning modules, three in-person and three online, that cover the entire research and knowledge mobilization process, featuring asynchronous resources, assignments, and synchronous lectures held approximately every two months.

  • Session 1 (in-person): September 25 and 26, 2026
  • Session 2 (in-person): November 6 and 7, 2026
  • Session 3 (online): January 15 and 16, 2027
  • Session 4 (online) March 12 and 13, 2027
  • Session 5 (online): May 7 and 8, 2027
  • Session 6 (in-person): June 11 and 12, 2027

Year 2

In Year 2, participants apply the skills learned by completing a self-directed, community-relevant research project or scholarly activity.

All in-person sessions are held in Edmonton, Alberta.

Accreditation will be sought via the College of Family Physicians of Canada’s Mainpro+ process, ensuring the program meets high educational standards.

Tuition is free and travel costs for in-person sessions will be covered by the program. 

Eligibility and Commitment

To be considered for the program, applicants must be family physicians:

  • actively practicing in central/northern Alberta or the Territories;
  • in regional, rural or remote practice for at least one year;
  • who spend at least 75% of their time delivering comprehensive primary care in Alberta or the Territories; 
  • with little or no advanced research skills training; and
  • able to commit the time to participate in the program – six, two-day sessions (Friday/Saturday) every two months during the first year (three in-person, three online; see schedule above), followed by a self-directed project in the second year (September 2027 – August 2028). 

Preference will be given to individuals who spend at least 50% of their time in the regional, rural or remote community they serve.

Apply Now

The deadline to apply is June 1, 2026.

Questions?

You can find answers to our FAQs here or contact us at grow.north@ualberta.ca.