Research Funding
Helping more Canadians age well at home
July 27, 2026
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Oasis members of the community in Thunder Bay participate in a flower arranging workshop. [Supplied photo]
Research shows that as Canadians age most are hoping to stay in their homes for as long as possible. By 2068, one in four Canadians will be 65 or older, while the number of people over 85 is expected to triple. Predictably, the desire to age well at home will also grow. To ensure aging at home is possible for most Canadians, more research is needed to help older adults remain healthy, connected, and engaged in their communities.
To help address this and other societal challenges, the Government of Canada is investing more than $289 million in social sciences and humanities research, including more than $42 million through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) Partnership Grants – Stage 2 fund. Among the projects receiving this funding is the Aging in Community Partnership co-led by Queen’s researchers Catherine Donnelly and Vincent DePaul (Rehabilitation Therapy) and Carri Hand at Western University. Awarded $2.5 million, the partnership seeks to further expand the national network of Oasis Communities for Aging Well and support the advancement of an older adult, community-led model that helps older adults age well where they most want to be.
A community-led approach to aging well
Designed by older adults and built around their priorities, Oasis operates within Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities (NORCs) such as apartment buildings, neighbourhoods, and small communities where many older adults already live. Rather than providing a one-size-fits-all program, each Oasis community develops activities based on the interests and needs of its members. Programs can include movement and exercise classes, arts activities, cards and video games, making or eating food together, and learning sessions with guest speakers. An on-site coordinator works with community members to develop and implement activities and engage experts from the broader community. Student volunteers may provide support with technology, while also joining activities, creating opportunities for students and older adults to learn from one another.
The model began in 2011 when older adults living in a Kingston apartment building partnered with the Frontenac-Kingston Council on Aging to create a new approach to aging in place. Since then, a longstanding Queen's-community partnership has helped Oasis expand to 23 communities across Canada serving diverse populations. Over the past eight years, the team's research has found Oasis has helped address loneliness, increased physical activity, and decreased health services utilization among participants. This latest grant marks more than $13 million awarded in support of the initiative to continue expansion and long-term implementation across Canada.
Oasis members participate in a group hoop fitness class. [Supplied photo]
"Supporting people to age in their communities requires a multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary approach," says Dr. Donnelly, Director of Queen's Health Services and Policy Research Institute. "This national Partnership will create the first coordinated pan-Canadian network focused on understanding NORCs and strengthening Oasis and related models, allowing us to co-create solutions, learn from one another, and build the collective knowledge needed to support older adults to stay connected in their communities."
Research with national impact
The Partnership Grant will strengthen and expand the Oasis network while bringing together researchers, older adults, housing providers, municipalities, community organizations, and advocacy groups to co-create research that can inform policy and practice. The partnership includes researchers from seven Canadian universities, international collaborators in Manchester, U.K., Scotland and dozens of community partners. Together, they will examine how communities can better support diverse older adults to age in place and generate evidence to guide neighbourhood, municipal, and provincial strategies.
"Working directly with communities is fundamental to our approach," says Dr. DePaul. "This ensures that the research reflects real-world priorities and produces practical solutions that matter to the people most affected. This collaborative approach also helps build trust, relevance, and sustainability, increasing the likelihood that research findings will lead to meaningful improvements in everyday life."
Building capacity for the future
The partnership will also help to build the next generation of leaders in healthy aging. The team aims to provide interdisciplinary and practice-based training opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers in the fields of aging, gerontology, housing, planning, and community development. At the same time, older adults, housing providers, municipalities, and community organizations will co-create the knowledge and resources needed to co-lead, implement, and evaluate NORC-based programs.
"Ultimately, our goal is to help create a future where aging in community is not the exception, but the expectation, for older adults across Canada," says Dr. Donnelly.
To learn more about Oasis, visit its website. To read about other Queen's researchers receiving SSHRC funding, read "$8.3M to advance Queen's research exploring social, economic, and societal challenges" in the Queen’s Gazette.
Queen’s researchers will be contributing to the advancement of other nationally focused Partnership Grant projects funded in this latest announcement:
L.F. Carver (Biomedical and Molecular Sciences) is the co-director of “Establishing a Network for Human-Animal Connections Research and Collaboration” led at the University of Saskatchewan ($2.5 million).
Stéfanie von Hlatky (Political Studies) is the co-director of “Civil-Military Relations Network” led at Carleton University ($2,499,219).
