CDPP 2.0 Capacity-Building Retreat
The CDPP 2.0 Capacity-Building Retreat aims to support CDPP 2.0 trainees in building skills to advance CDPP 2.0’s goal: better physical activity participation for people with lived experience of disability in Canada.
The Capacity-Building Retreat (formerly the Summer Institute) is held every two years, with the inaugural event hosted at Queen’s University in 2025. The theme and learning objectives are informed by the data collected in the biannual training needs survey distributed across the CDPP 2.0 partnership. At the core of every Capacity-Building Retreat is the opportunity for rich conversations about advancing disability-inclusive research in sport, exercise, and active play.
2027 Capacity-Building Retreat
This year’s event is titled Press Pause: Making Time to Implement Quality in Partnership and is all about putting CDPP 2.0 research into action and building quality research partnerships.
What to Expect
Trainees can look forward to an accessible-by-design event, where they will experience:
- Learning and creating partnerships with academic and community partners
- Interactive workshops that encourage collaboration and connection
- Presentations on the latest research and first practices
- Creating research partnerships among faculty and community members
- An emphasis on reflexivity and putting your research findings into action
Stay tuned — more exciting details will be shared soon!
Event Details
When: June 7–10, 2027
Where: Queen’s University in Kingston, ON
Who: CDPP 2.0 trainees
Who is Eligible?
To be eligible all applicants must meet all three of the following criteria:
- Applicant is currently enrolled in a graduate program or postdoctoral fellowship at a CDPP 2.0 partner institution,
- Both part-time and full-time graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are eligible.
- Applicant’s supervisor or co-supervisor is a named CDPP 2.0 academic partner at the time of application (Co-Investigator, Co-Director or Director of CDPP 2.0).
- Applicant’s research supports the goal of CDPP 2.0, to make physical activity participation better for persons with disabilities in Canada.
To give weight to the experiences of those currently underrepresented in scholarship and programs, at least 75% of sports will be reserved for trainees who experience barriers that may affect access to academic, research, or professional development opportunities. These may include barriers related to disability or health, caregiving responsibilities, financial or geographic constraints, institutional access, or community-based underrepresentation.
Note: If you attended the 2025 CDPP 2.0 Summer Institute, you are still eligible to apply for the 2027 Capacity-Building Retreat.
If you have questions regarding eligibility, contact cdpp2.cbr@queensu.ca.
Applications are Open
Apply to participate in the Capacity-Building Retreat by December 2nd, 2026, at 6:00 pm (PDT); 7:00 pm (MDT); 8:00 pm (EST); 9:00 pm (AST); 9:30 pm (NST).
Visit our applicant information page or more information about eligibility criteria, application requirements, the selection process, and more. Please note that a password is required to access this page. We included a password in all event communications sent to eligible applicants. If you are an eligible candidate and did not receive a password, please contact cdpp2.cbr@queensu.ca.
Acknowledgements
We thank Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for funding support, Queen’s University for co-funding and hosting, and our many partners, facilitators, and planning committee members for shaping these meaningful events.
Jane Arkell Memorial Ambassadorship Program
In 2025, in partnership with Active Abilities Canada, we launched the Jane Arkell Memorial Ambassadorship to honour trainees who embodied Jane Arkell’s vision for inclusive communities. Learn more about the Jane Arkell Memorial Ambassadorship and the 2025 Ambassadors. The 2027 Ambassadors (emerging scholars who are poised to carry Jane’s legacy forward) will be named following the next Capacity-Building Retreat.
CDPP 2.0 Summer Institute 2025
Building Inclusive Research Partnerships to Advance Disability Participation
The Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP) 2.0 hosted its inaugural Summer Institute from June 10–12, 2025, bringing together 12 in-person trainees and 11 online trainees. Supported by CDPP 2.0 academic and community partners, the event centered on partnership, inclusivity, and knowledge mobilization.
The Summer Institute provided an immersive, supportive learning space for trainees committed to advancing disability-inclusive research in sport, exercise, and active play. It offered trainees the opportunity build capacity for partnered research and knowledge mobilization and to network with CDPP 2.0 trainees, faculty, and staff.
After completing the Summer Institute, trainees were able to:
- Build collaborative relationships across disciplines and communities,
- Describe processes to initiate and maintain research partnerships,
- Apply principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and social justice,
- Use integrated knowledge translation (iKT) guiding principles in real-world case scenarios.
Highlights
- Inclusion Agreement – All participants co-created guidelines for respectful, inclusive engagement.
- Interactive Workshops – Practical skill-building in partnership research.
- Keynotes & Presentations – From leaders like Dr. Heather Gainforth, Dr. Stephanie Nixon, and Dr. Mary Ann McColl.
- Breakout Groups – Small team discussions both in-person and online.
- 3-Minute Thesis Presentations and “Speed Dating” – Trainees presented their research in an accessible format then had the opportunity to discuss their research with fellow attendees.
Access the Full Proceedings
For a detailed overview of the program, abstracts, and trainee contributions, download the proceedings:
Download the Summer Institute 2025 Proceedings Document (linked).
