In 2021, EDAC-ATAC launched a bursary program, with opportunities for EDAC-ATAC members to apply for one of two bursaries:
- Education/Professional Development Bursary: The goal of this bursary is to support an individual to develop further knowledge or skills in the field of eating disorders, and to extend this knowledge to benefit others in their professional or community setting.
- Research Bursary: The goal of this bursary is to stimulate research in the field of eating disorders.
We also developed a conference bursary for trainees who present at the biennial EDAC-ATAC conference (awarded on conference years).
Information on how to apply will be shared with members through the EDAC-ATAC Newsletter, and posted on this website when a new competition is launched.
We are pleased to feature the recipients of the EDAC-ATAC bursary programs:
2024
Conference Bursaries for Trainees
Maegan Harvison (McGill University) will be sharing a presentation titled “Examining personality dimensions in individuals with anorexia nervosa: Role of clinical status and eating-disorder phenotype”.
Tia McNeil (Mount Royal University) will be sharing a presentation titled “Neurocognitive and Executive Functioning in Bulimia Nervosa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”.
2023
The EDAC-ATAC Professional Development and Research Bursary was not awarded in 2023 (no applications were received for these bursaries).
2022
Sharon Hou: Recipient of the 2022 EDAC-ATAC Research Bursary
Dr. Sharon Hou is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of British Columbia and a registered psychologist in the Provincial Specialized Eating Disorders Program for Children and Adolescents at BC Children’s Hospital. Dr. Hou was the recipient of the 2022 EDAC-ATAC Research Bursary. The bursary supported a study investigating the implementation of a dialectical behavioural therapy-informed pediatric eating disorders day treatment program on the experiences of healthcare professionals.
Dr. Hou is examining the impact of implementation on experiences of compassion fatigue, self-compassion, and dialectical behavioural therapy competencies, as well as cultural safety and humility, for healthcare professionals. The bursary has supported participant remuneration for completing the study. Data at baseline (pre-implementation of the DBT program) has been collected. The post-implementation evaluation will take place this Fall 2023. Dr. Hou looks forward to sharing the final results of this project with the EDAC-ATAC community, and thanks EDAC-ATAC for their support of this project through the research bursary initiative.
2022 EDAC-ATAC Professional Development Bursary
The EDAC-ATAC Professional Development Bursary was not awarded in 2022 (no applications were received for this bursary). We encourage members to share information about this professional development opportunity with colleagues and to consider applying to future calls for EDAC-ATAC bursaries.
2021
2021 Bursary Recipients
Abbigail Kinnear: Recipient of the 2021 EDAC-ATAC Research Bursary
The EDAC-ATAC Research Bursary supported remuneration of participants who took part in Abbigail’s research. Abbigail’s research focuses on understanding the function of eating disorder symptoms. Abbigail shared a summary of her project:
One method of improving treatment outcomes in individuals with eating disorders (EDs) may be to understand and target individual’s motives for engaging in ED behaviours – or the functions of EDs. Given the importance of assessing the functions of EDs and the lack of a comprehensive and valid assessment tool, the purpose of this research is to develop and validate a measure of ED functions. Using interviews with individuals who engage in ED behaviours and clinicians who treat EDs, we drafted a measure to assess four main functions of EDs: 1) alleviating shape, weight, and eating concerns; 2) regulating emotions; 3) regulating one’s self-concept; and 4) regulating relationships/communicating with others. Participants who engage in ED behaviours then completed this measure in an online study so that we can test the structure of this measure as well as the performance of measure items. Results of this study will support the construct validity of the measure. Once officially validated, this ED functions measure may be used to facilitate individualized treatment conceptualizations and inform treatment decisions for those with EDs.
Ali Eberhardt: Recipient of the 2021 EDAC-ATAC Professional Development Bursary
I was awarded a $500 Professional Development Bursary this year by the Eating Disorders Association of Canada (EDAC-ATAC) to put towards learning and knowledge translation related to weight inclusive care, anti-diet education and Health at Every Size. Upon receiving these funds, I collaborated with the team of Registered Dietitians I work with in the Provincial Adult Tertiary Specialized Eating Disorders Program at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, BC to determine best use of this bursary to put towards continuing education/training workshops in these topics.
To begin with, I registered as a member of the Association for Size Diversity and Health which is a non-profit organization with international membership committed to the practice of HAES principles. The membership provides ongoing opportunities for development such as a workshop I attended in December called “Let’s Discuss the Centrality of “Health” in Health at Every Size®” as well as access to education resources and much more. I also registered and participated in “Master Your Anti-Diet Message” a communication masterclass with Registered Dietitian Christy Harrison. This workshop is for health care providers to unlearn potentially triggering diet culture language and help approach advocacy for our patients and clients with safe inclusive messaging.
With the remaining funds, we decided to start an Anti-Diet/Weight Inclusive Care Educational Library for our program so that our colleagues can borrow books and educational resources to support their learning into weight neutral and inclusive care. The first 3 books in our library are:
Fearing the Black Body: The racial origins of fat phobia by Sabrina Strings
Anti-Diet: Reclaim your time, money, well-being and happiness through Intuitive Eating by Christy Harrison, RD
The Intuitive Eating Workbook: 10 principles for nourishing a healthy relationship with food by Evelyn Tribole, RD & Elyse Resch, RD
I am so very grateful for this award which allowed access to communities and educational materials that have deepened my understanding and comfort working from a weight neutral HAES lens. The work of unlearning internalized weight stigma has just begun and I am grateful to EDAC-ATAC for their support of me on this journey.