Participation Matters.
Participation Matters.
Towards civic equity
Municipalities and Service Managers are responsible for policies that play a vital role in people’s lives. Community organizations and residents play a vital role in shaping effective, equitable local policies that improve people’s lives.
Participation Matters. has two goals – 1) support the development of equity-oriented local policies and 2) foster wide-spread, equitable community participation in policymaking. We provide research support and matching funding to advance the policy equity work of municipalities, Service Managers, and community organizations across Ontario.
Participation Matters. is hosted by the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute at the University of Guelph, and led by Dr. Leah Levac, Associate Professor in Political Science and Canada Research Chair (Tier 2) in Critical Community Engagement and Public Policy. Dr. Winnie Chan is the coordinator. Participation Matters. is funded by Mitacs, a national research and innovation agency.
We invite projects from municipalities, Service Managers, municipal organizations (e.g., AMO, OMSSA, AMCTO), and community organizations that serve “affected communities” and members of equity-denied groups. We help match potential projects with academic partners and provide one-to-one matching funding. We will support 20-30 projects over 2 years (Jan. 2026 – Dec. 2027).
To learn more:
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See responses to frequently asked questions (FAQs), below
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Contact us at participation@uoguelph.ca
Complete our very short expression of interest form before June 15th 2026, 9:00 am (ET) for our first round of projects.
Frequently asked questions
What is a project?
A typical project is a 4 – 6 month team effort to answer a specific question or solve a specific problem. The focus of each project (i.e., the question to be answered or problem to be solved) comes from the municipality, Service Manager, and/or municipal and community organization. All projects take a community-engaged approach. This means each project will involve close collaboration between the lead researcher(s) and community partner(s). The outputs from the project are tailored to the needs and priorities of the partner(s), and could take many different forms – for example, a report, a presentation, a workshop, a video etc.
Each project includes at least:
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A community partner (or partners) – municipalities, municipal organizations (e.g., AMO, OMSSA, AMCTO), and community organizations can be community partners. A project can involve more than one community partner. Community partners identify the goals for the research and are normally the primary users of the research.
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A research lead – a researcher (“faculty member”) at a Canadian post-secondary institution, who will supervise the research and the student intern(s). They work with the community partner(s) to design the research project.
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A student intern (or interns) – usually a graduate student. They will complete a significant amount of the research, working closely with the research lead and community partner. In most cases, the student will be studying at the same institution as the research lead.
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$15,000 – a standard project costs $15,000. The community partner(s) and Participation Matters. each contribute $7,500. These funds are mostly used to pay the student intern. The funds also support the coordination of Participation Matters., knowledge sharing between projects, and where relevant, project-related expenses (e.g., honoraria for interview participants, lunch for a community workshop)
The size of a project can vary. A standard project involves one student working approximately 300-400 hours over 4-6 months. We call this an “intern unit.” A project may involve one or multiple intern units. E.g., a project involving 3 intern units might still be 4-6 months with 3 students working at the same time. Or, it might be 12-18 months with the same student working 3 consecutive intern units.
How do I apply?
We are ready to help you develop your project. The application process begins with your initial ideas for the project – you do not need firm plans and confirmed partners before you begin.
The 3-step application process is as follows:
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You submit your initial idea for a project using this form. Any municipality, Service Manager, municipal organization or community organization can apply.
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We work with you to refine your plans for the project. We can also help you identify a research lead and student intern.
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You submit a final proposal, including a work plan and confirmation of all community partners, the research lead, and intern. Final approval for the project takes 2-3 weeks.
Note: We don’t generally accept applications from researchers who are looking for help securing community partners. If you are a researcher who is already working with a community partner, however, you are welcome to submit the initial application (Step 1 above) on their behalf.
What kinds of projects do you support?
Projects should contribute to least one of the following goals:
Goal A: To develop and implement equitable municipal policies, programs and services. These projects will contribute directly to advancing equitable outcomes for residents. Any municipal policy topic is fair game. For instance, projects could support equitable energy and sustainability policy, equitable transit policy, advances in EarlyON programming, or responses to homelessness.
Goal B: To foster wide-spread, equitable community participation in policymaking. These projects will contribute to advancing more equitable participatory and deliberative forms of democracy. For instance, projects could explore the role of elected officials in community engagement, the redesign of resident advisory committees, or innovative participation strategies for engaging meaningfully with young people.
We welcome projects that contribute to both goals, but this is not required. The following projects were not supported by Participation Matters., but they are examples of the types of projects we hope to support.
Missed Connections: Locating Equity in Toronto’s Transportation History
What support do you provide?
Our team can help you:
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identify a research lead
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identify and train a student intern
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scope your project so that it is achievable and can make an impact
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with funding support; we match project funding 1:1
We also support learning between projects and across the sector more broadly. We will connect you with like-minded projects, and offer, for example, training opportunities, support developing knowledge sharing tools and/or webinars, and a community of practice.
How does the funding work?
A standard project involves one student working approximately 300-400 hours over 4-6 months. The community partner(s) contribute $7,500 and these funds are matched 1:1, for a total project budget of $15,000. We call this an “intern unit,” and they are like building blocks for a project – your project can be built from one intern unit or several. For example, a project that involves 3 “intern units” requires $22,500 from the community partner(s), matched 1:1 for a total budget of $45,000.
Community partners can pool their funding to meet the $7,500 amount.
For each intern unit, most of the funds will pay the student researcher, some funds can go towards project costs (as needed), and some of the funds go to Participation Matters. to support coordination / training / knowledge sharing activities.
What should I expect from a project?
Collaboration between researchers and community partners is key to the success of these projects. When community partners can participate in the design and delivery of the research, the project is more likely to be a success. The opportunity for student interns to interact with partners is also a valuable part of their learning and training.
The time commitment required for collaboration will be different for each project and should be clarified before the project begins. You should expect to participate in designing the project and orienting the student intern, and in regular meetings (at least once a month) rather than simply attending a final presentation of the results.
What does existing research say about municipal governments, equity and community engagement?
Municipal governments are being called on to address inequities in their communities, and to find more effective ways to engage residents in local decisions. The design and effects of their equity-oriented engagement efforts and the resulting public policies are not fully understood. This 5 min read outlines some of the latest academic research on these topics, including some of the pressing questions that remain unanswered.