Do Research

Our Research Services

MSSU offers a wide range of services to support patient-oriented research in the Maritimes. Our team of experts can help you engage with Patient/Public Partners, prepare funding applications, and provide guidance around study design and data analysis. Our consultative services can be accessed at any stage of your research – even if you haven’t engaged patients or the public yet but want to learn how.

Patient Engagement

Provide support, resources, and tools for meaningful patient and public engagement.
Assist in the development of a patient/public engagement strategy.

Data Access

We play an important role in helping establish and expand provincial data platforms that provide researchers and policy-makers with secure access to administrative health data— providing an evidence base for important health care decisions. MSSU Scientists and students receive discounts on data access fees. Submit our online form to request support in assessing data needs, completing data access requests, navigating health data and how to get your discount.

Our data centres
For information on data holdings and access procedures, visit our provincial data centres:
· New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT)
· Health Data Nova Scotia (HDNS)
· Secure Island Data Repository – Coming soon!

Evidence Synthesis

Produce a short background summary document on a given topic within 1-3 business days.
Consult on literature review projects and provide training in evidence synthesis methods.
More comprehensive review projects may be supported in coordination with national evidence synthesis groups such as the SPOR Evidence Alliance. Timelines may vary

Knowledge Translation

Help develop/review products or strategies to communicate evidence to different audiences (e.g. plain-language summaries, briefing notes).
Provide support, resources, and tools for knowledge translation.
Give training and presentations to build knowledge translation capacity. Support the exchange of knowledge between different health system stakeholders

Research Methods

Help with observational study design and methodology (e.g., to identify high risk populations, determinants of specific adverse outcomes, etc.).
Assist with pragmatic clinical trial design and data analysis.
Assist with design, collection, and analysis of data collected through interviews, focus groups, surveys, or administrative health data.
Support the understanding of methods and analysis provided in evidence syntheses/recent research.

Privacy and Ethics

Data privacy training
Legislation review
Ethics and privacy compliance advice/guidance
Data-sharing agreements (review/drafting)

Let’s have a conversation about your research needs

Our Trainee Support Program

MSSU Trainee Support Program

Supporting the next generation of health research leaders

The MSSU Trainee Support Program offers funding opportunities for individuals pursuing patient-oriented health research in a Master’s, Doctoral, or Postdoctoral Fellow program at a Maritime University.

Since 2014, we have invested more than $3 million dollars to support the next generation of highly qualified health research leaders with expertise in patient-oriented research in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. The program also provides recipients with patient-oriented research training and other resources to help trainees build knowledge and skills development in patient-oriented research.

Learning Health Systems

MSSU supports the development of a Learning Health System by collaborating with government and health authority partners, clinicians, researchers, and Patient/Public Partners. We offer strategic support relating to each part of the Learning Health System Cycle.