The First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) and its Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipient of its 2015 National Student Bursary: Ms. Mary Smith of Beausoleil First Nation, Ontario.
Ms. Smith is a third-year PhD Nursing student at the University of Victoria focusing on population health and chronic kidney disease. She will receive a $2,500 bursary to help support her studies.
The FNIGC National Student Bursary is awarded annually to qualifying First Nation college or university students pursuing degrees in the field of epidemiology, population health, biostatistics, or information management technology.
A member of the Beausoleil First Nation, located on Lake Huron, Ms. Smith is engaged in the study of chronic kidney disease and organ donation, in part because of her experience as a kidney donor in her home community. She recently completed an auto-enthnography of her experiences on the understudied topic of chronic kidney disease management as it affects the lives of First Nations.
In 2011, Ms. Smith received a research grant from York University to examine the topic of psychiatric mental health nursing in Canada and has published several articles related to indigenous health, auto-ethnography, and story-telling. Presently she is the lead investigator on a research team that is evaluating the indigenous content contained in the Ontario Nurse Practitioner Program.
FNIGC is a First Nations non-profit operating with a mandate from the Assembly of First Nations. As the premier source of information about First Nations people living on reserve and in northern communities, FNIGC is committed to improving the health and well-being of people living in our 633 First Nations communities across the country.
FNIGC recognizes that real change can come through sound policy-making, but only if it’s supported by quality information — information that is collected by First Nations people for First Nations people.