
ACT (ACCELERATING CLINICAL TRIALS) INDIGENOUS HEALTH ENGAGEMENT
ABOUT ACT INDIGENOUS HEALTH ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Clinical trial research has harmed Indigenous Peoples in the past. Today Indigenous Peoples
around the world are not well represented or are invisible in clinical trials and Indigenous scholars and communities are not well positioned to lead the research, despite the United Nations Declaration of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada calling for the need to advance the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. Data sovereignty and Indigenous participation in research is integral to achieving this goal.
In 2023, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research committed $39 million over three
years to the creation of a national consortium, Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) / d’Accélérer
les essais cliniques (AEC) to improve processes, knowledge production and implementation of
high-quality, high impact randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to improve health in Canada and
around the world.
The Accelerating Clinical Trials (ACT) Indigenous Health Committee and Grandmother’s Council was established to enhance safety, inclusion, and equity for First Nations (FN), Métis, and Inuit participation in clinical trials. Three Indigenous scholars, Dr’s Wanda Phillips-Beck (Anishinaabe), Wayne Clark (Inuk) and Melanie Morris (Metis) lead the Health Committee each with their respective Nation-based subcommittees.
The First Nations work is led by the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM). Three broad objectives are: 1) identifying First Nations health priorities for clinical trials; 2) establish FN regional guidelines; and 3) identify and lead potential demonstration projects.
FNHSSM is a recognized leader in First Nations health research and data sovereignty through strong data governance and community partnerships. Using a culturally rooted research approach, our methods involve active and meaningful collaboration with FNs, upholding our inherent rights and sovereignty in research to address barriers and promote equitable participation in clinical trial research.
OUR TEAM

Wanda Phillips-Beck
Co-Chair
Indigenous Health Engagement Committee

Taylor Morriseau
Project Lead
First Nations Committee

Mabel Horton
Grandmother’s Council Member
First Nations Committee

Doris Young
Grandmother’s Council Member
First Nations Committee

Sherry Copenace
Grandmother’s Council Member
First Nations Committee
Last Updated: 2024-07-12