Building Safer Communities Program (BSCP)

Community-based research grants

As part of this program, we’ll be supporting community-based research projects through grants of up to $10,000. 

Applications close December 9, 2022.

Grants information sheet PDF file (103 KB)

Grants application form Word file (64 KB)

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  2023 BSCP Community-Based Action Research Project Grants

  Grants will be available for youth groups and community stakeholders working with non-profit organizations to implement community-based action research projects aimed at exploring the nature, trends, incidence, and prevalence of youth violence in the city, and the characteristics of effective community-based violence prevention strategies.

  Key areas and questions for research projects

  • Youth well-being and the social determinants of health: How can we map the connections between youth experiences of violence and broader systems of inequities in the social determinants of health?
  • Youth safety and belonging in the city: What factors are needed for a stronger sense of belonging and safety among youth in Vancouver?
  • Middle childhood and violence prevention and early intervention: How can youth violence prevention programs be integrated into broader interventions to support healthy middle-years child development?
  • Gun and gang violence: Given the diversity of youth in Vancouver, what targeted, cultural and other identity-specific strategies should be developed to prevent gun and gang violence?
  • Prevention of child and youth exploitation: What strategies are needed to prevent child and youth sexual exploitation?
  • Wraparound prevention services: What supports could build capacity for the youth sector to implement effective wraparound service delivery models in Vancouver?

Additional details

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  Youth safety and violence prevention strategy

  As part of this project, we’ll develop a youth safety and violence prevention strategy that will include:

  • An assessment of the nature and scope of youth violence in Vancouver
  • Research on protective and resilience factors including effective prevention interventions
  • An overview of community-based prevention and intervention strategies prioritized for the local context
  • An action plan and funding strategy for delivering prevention initiatives that address the risk factors associated with youth violence in the city
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  Next steps

  Over the next 10 months, our Social Policy and Project Department will work with youth, community partners, public partners, and consultants to:  

  • Establish a program implementation team 
  • Convene three reference groups (youth, service delivery providers, and public partners) to advise on the direction of BSCP Vancouver and parameters for the strategy and action plan
  • Implement a youth community engagement strategy to support program activities including community dialogues, action research projects
  • Compile baseline research including a draft statistical profile on youth, an overview of the youth sector and an in-depth look at youth violence including gender-based violence, gun and gang violence, racial violence, discrimination, and belonging occurring in the city
  • Facilitate community dialogues on the state of youth in Vancouver, understanding youth violence and risk and protective factors
  • Establish  a community-driven granting program to provide funding to local community organizations that provide prevention and intervention services for youth at risk of gun and gang  violence
  • Develop a comprehensive 3-year youth violence prevention and intervention plan for the City of Vancouver based on research, community dialogues, and community input
  • Develop a program evaluation framework to assess outcomes and support performance-based measures determined by Public Safety