The Okanagan Charter resulted from the 2015 International Conference on Health Promoting Universities and Colleges in Kelowna, British Columbia. The Charter was crafted by representatives from education and health institutions from 45 countries and the World Health Organization.

The purpose of the conference was to create a plan for how to improve global health and well-being. This led to the understanding that in order to improve the world, we should start with postsecondary institutions. This led to the creation of the Okanagan Charter and its calls-to-action.

The Okanagan Charter calls-to-action include:

• Embed health into all aspects of campus culture, across the administration, operations, and academic mandates.
  • 1. Embed health in all campus policies.
  • 2. Create supportive campus environments.
  • 3. Generate thriving communities and a culture of well-being.
  • 4. Support personal development.
  • 5. Create or re-orient campus services.
• Lead health promotion action and collaboration locally and globally.
  • 1. Integrate health, well-being and sustainability in multiple disciplines to develop change agents.
  • 2. Advance research, teaching and training for health promotion knowledge and action.
  • 3. Lead and partner towards local and global action for health

In 2017, McMaster University signed the Okanagan Charter. Inspired by the Okanagan Charter, the McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being is dedicated to enhancing health and well-being at McMaster University.

To view the Okanagan Charter, please click here.

In recognition to the importance of health and well-being in higher education, the McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being has developed the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding. The purpose of this fund is to encourage creative and impactful projects focused on health and well-being that benefit McMaster students, staff, and faculty.

The Project Management Institute (PMI) defines a project as temporary efforts to create value through unique products, services, and processes.

The McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being encourages creative and out-of-the box thinking when it comes to new health and well-being initiatives. We welcome all ideas, however all projects must be:

• Intended for members of the McMaster community as the target audience (may also benefit others in addition to the McMaster community)
• Managed by a current McMaster student, staff or faculty member

Also, projects cannot be:

• Part of a research study

If you have questions about the eligibility of your project, please email us at okanagan@mcmaster.ca to discuss your project idea further.

Applicants are responsible for all areas of development and operation of the project. The McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being will provide guidance when required, however the day-to-day function of the project is the responsibility of the applicant(s).

Each project must have at least one active student, staff or faculty member to act as the contact person throughout the life of the project. Graduating students may be part of the application process but the contact person must be a currently enrolled student (full or part-time).

The McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being encourages creative and impactful ideas. Below are a few examples of projects that may be funded:

• Provide more benches, picnic tables, or yellow benches on campus
• Create a meditation room on campus
• Provide yoga classes in downtown Hamilton
• Hire a student to help develop a new well-being initiative

If you are considering hosting a conference or talk, we encourage you to reach out to one of the many McMaster experts available before bringing in a speaker outside of McMaster.

To explore MOSPF projects from previous years, please visit the “Past Projects” tab in the menu above.

The McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being believes that all areas of our daily lives influence our health and well-being. For that reason, we have adopted the use of The Eight Dimensions of Well-being for the classification of our health and well-being programs, services, and educational opportunities.

The eight dimensions include physical, emotional, spiritual, social, intellectual, financial, environmental and occupational.

In your application, you will be required to choose up to 3 dimensions that you would like your project to be reviewed under.

We want to ensure that the selected projects are representative of the vast array of well-being. Therefore, applications must indicate what dimensions it would like to be assessed under. Each project can choose up to 3 dimensions.

All current McMaster students, staff, and faculty members are eligible to apply. Applications can be submitted by groups or individuals.

Note: If you are a student graduating or an employee leaving the year of your project application, you must have a plan for who will take over the project in your absence. Please include this information in your application.

The application form is hosted on Microsoft Forms. Applications will only be accepted online through the official MS form.

Links to the MS form will be provided when applications are opened. Please check-in regularly at our website and social media for updates.

Applications must be submitted through Microsoft Forms.

Funding is available up to $5,000 per project. Projects must submit a detailed budget request along with the application outlining how the funds will be used.  

Please download the project budget template that will be used as part of the evaluation criteria for projects.

MOSPF 2024 – Project Budget Template

Expenses that will not be approved for the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding include, but are not limited to:

• Staff or faculty salaries
• Primary research costs
• Small equipment purchases that are not ergonomically safe or effective
• Office renovations, office furniture, or artwork
• The purchase of stereo or electronic equipment for entertainment purposes
• Individual monetary reimbursements for gym memberships/fitness classes/ assessments
• Charitable donations
• Alcohol or illicit substances
• Any expenses not directly related to the project

If you are unsure if your expense will be covered, please email us at okanagan@mcmaster.ca.

There is no limit to the number of applications an individual or group is allowed to submit. However, each project must have its own application.

Yes, every applicant can re-apply the following year when the application re-opens. Applicants can re-apply with the same project but the McMaster Okanagan Office of Health & Well-being recommends applying with a new project.

Funds will be transferred to a project-specific account via Mosaic.

All projects will be required to submit an end-of-project report and financial report. Applicants will be given a three-month time period to submit their final project report after their project ends.

Projects might be requested to present their achievements at an internal conference.

Application Opens: January 2024

Application Closes: February 29, 2024 at 11:59 PM (now closed)

Evaluation Period: March 2024

Results Released: Spring 2024

Once approved, the projects from the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding will have 12 months to develop their activities. If necessary, extensions can be negotiated on a case-by-case basis.

For any additional questions related to the McMaster Okanagan Special Project Funding, please email okanagan@mcmaster.ca.