Becoming a POPCORN Member: What It Means & What You’ll Gain
Purpose & Vision
When you join POPCORN (Pediatric Outcome imProvement through COordination of Research Networks), you become part of a pan‑Canadian research platform that unites researchers, clinicians, patient and family partners, and decision‑makers across 19 member sites. Initially launched to support COVID‑19 research, POPCORN has evolved into a sustainable infrastructure for future child and perinatal health research.
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Access to in-kind resources
Membership determines who may access POPCORN's in-kind resources, including grant submission support, research support, and infrastructure resources.Funding eligibility
Membership determines who is eligible to apply for POPCORN trainee awards, seed funding calls, and other member-specific opportunities.Brand affiliation
Membership establishes who may use the POPCORN name, logo, and brand affiliation in grant applications, publications, and public communications.Data and resource sharing
Membership may provide opportunities to contribute to and benefit from shared datasets, databanks, tools, repositories, and research infrastructure.Shared data stewardship
Membership reflects participation in the development, enhancement, and responsible use of POPCORN data and related resources, which are central to the network's ability to support high-quality, collaborative research.
POPCORN membership is volunteer-based and does not include financial compensation from the POPCORN team.
Why It Matters
By joining POPCORN, you’re helping to build and sustain Canada’s national pediatric and maternal research infrastructure. You’ll be part of shaping research that addresses both acute and long-term child and maternal health challenges—from emergency care and infection surveillance to mental health, system impact, and policy translation—while contributing to a model that integrates patients, families, clinicians, and researchers from coast to coast.
Membership Key Highlights:
Individual-based
Memberships are held by individuals, not by institutions, departments, or root networks. Institutional affiliation and root network membership are criteria for eligibility, but the membership relationship is between POPCORN and the individual.
Free of charge
POPCORN membership carries no fee. All eligible individuals are welcome to join without a financial barrier.
Registration required
Membership is not automatic (except for de facto members). All other eligible individuals must actively register through the POPCORN membership portal below. Registration allows POPCORN to maintain an accurate, current membership list and to communicate effectively with members.
Inclusive
Membership is open to researchers, trainees, clinicians, public health professionals, health system administrators, and patient and family partners who share POPCORN's mission of improving pediatric and perinatal health outcomes through coordinated research.
Membership Types
POPCORN offers five membership types, each with distinct eligibility criteria. Learn more below.
De Facto Membership
Who Qualifies?
Executive, Scientific, and Governance Committee members, Pillar and Team Leads, and POPCORN employees
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The following individuals are considered members of POPCORN for the duration of their term or appointment:
All members of the POPCORN Executive Committee, Scientific Committee, and Governance Committee
All POPCORN Pillar and Team leads
All POPCORN employees (national operations, project managers, etc.)
Although enrolment is automatic, de facto members must register in the POPCORN membership portal so that their profile is captured in the membership system and transitions are handled without gaps.
De facto membership is tied to the position appointment. It begins on the date of appointment and ceases when the individual's term ends. Following their term, they are encouraged to register under whichever membership category they independently qualify for. Where a de facto member also qualifies as a Regular member (e.g., they are affiliated with a root network or an eligible institution), their Regular membership continues seamlessly when their committee term ends, without any gap in membership status.
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De facto members have:
Access to POPCORN communications and newsletters
Invitation to POPCORN annual conference and scientific day
Use of POPCORN name and logo affiliation
Access to POPCORN research resources
Eligibility for POPCORN awards and seed funding
Access to governance and strategic planning documents
Regular Membership
Who Qualifies?
Members of root networks, MICYRN, or staff at a POPCORN site
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Network Pathway
Any individual who is a current member of any of the following POPCORN collaborating networks is eligible to register as a Regular Member.
POPCORN Collaborating Networks
Canadian Critical Care Pediatric Subgroup (CCCPEDS) of the Canadian Critical Care Trials Group (CCCTG)
Eligibility is specific to the pediatric subgroup. CCCTG members who exclusively conduct adult critical care research are not eligible through this pathway.
Canadian Immunization Research Network (CIRN)
Canadian Perinatal Network (CPN)
Eligibility through this pathway will be defined and added once the network's membership infrastructure is established. Individuals associated with this group may qualify through the institutional pathway in the interim.
Immunization Monitoring Program ACTive (IMPACT)
Maternal Infant Child & Youth Research Network (MICYRN)
Pediatric Emergency Research Canada (PERC)
Paediatric Investigators Collaborative Network on Infections in Canada (PICNIC)
Paediatric Inpatient Research Network (PIRN)
Institutional Pathway
Any individual who holds any form of appointment or employment at one of the POPCORN member institutions is eligible to register as a Regular Member, regardless of whether they are a member of a root network. This includes faculty appointments, clinical appointments, research appointments, and relevant administrative staff. Adjunct, visiting, and secondary appointments at affiliated institutions also qualify — a primary appointment is not required.
POPCORN Member Institutions
BC Children's Hospital (CWBC) | University of British Columbia
Alberta Children's Hospital (ACH) | University of Calgary
Stollery Children's Hospital (SCH) | University of Alberta
Jim Pattison Children's Hospital (JPCH) | University of Saskatchewan
HSC Winnipeg Children's Hospital (CHRIM) | University of Manitoba
Children's Hospital - London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)
McMaster Children's Hospital (MCH)
The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids)
University of Toronto (UofT)
Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI)
Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC) | Queen’s University
CHU Sainte-Justine (CHUSJ)
Montreal Children's Hospital (HME) | Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Centre hospitalier universitaire de Montréal (CHUM)
CHU de Sherbrooke (CHUSB)
CHU de Québec l’université Laval (CHUL)
IWK Health Centre (IWK)
Janeway Children’s Hospital (JCH)
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Regular members have:
Access to POPCORN communications and newsletters
Invitation to POPCORN annual conference and scientific day
Use of POPCORN name and logo affiliation
Access to POPCORN research resources
Eligibility for POPCORN awards and seed funding
Access to governance and strategic planning documents
Trainee Membership
Who Qualifies?
Students and clinical trainees supervised by a Regular or De facto POPCORN member
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Trainee membership is open to any individual in a supervised training role whose primary or co-primary supervisor is a current POPCORN Regular or De facto member. Membership on a supervisory committee does not qualify — the supervisor must be the primary supervisor or a co-primary supervisor (e.g., thesis co-supervisor). The following training levels are eligible:
Undergraduate students undertaking supervised research (e.g., honours thesis, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) undergraduate student research award (USRA), directed research project)
Graduate students (MSc, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent professional research degree)
Postdoctoral fellows
Medical students and residents
Clinical fellows
Supervisor Transition — Extension Period
If a trainee member's primary or co-primary supervisor loses POPCORN membership (e.g., moves to a non-affiliated institution or does not renew), the trainee retains full membership rights for an extension period of six (6) months from the date the supervisor's membership lapsed. During this period, the trainee should either identify a new qualifying supervisor or, if independently eligible, register under another category.
Trainee members have access to the same core membership benefits as Regular members. Access to POPCORN resources (e.g., grant submission support, research support) requires endorsement from the supervising POPCORN member.
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Trainee members have:
Access to POPCORN communications and newsletters
Invitation to POPCORN annual conference and scientific day
Eligibility for POPCORN awards and seed funding
Access to governance and strategic planning documents
Trainee members may use the POPCORN name affiliation in the context of their research, with the endorsement of their supervising member. Additionally, POPCORN resource access for trainee members requires endorsement from the supervising POPCORN member.
Patient & Family Partner Membership
Who Qualifies?
Parents, legal guardians, and youth engaged as patient partners
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Patient and Family Partner membership is open to individuals who are personally engaged as patient partners in one or more POPCORN research activities. This category includes:
Parents and legal guardians of children who have lived experience relevant to POPCORN studies or initiatives
Youth patient partners who are youth and young adults with lived or living experience with research.
Eligibility and Registration
Eligibility is self-declared. No minimum duration or intensity of engagement is required; any active participation in a POPCORN research activity qualifies.
Patient and Family Partner members are not compensated for holding POPCORN membership. However, in alignment with our commitment to equitable, meaningful, and active partnerships between research teams and those with lived experience, patients and family partners may be eligible for compensation for participation in specific POPCORN research activities. This is governed separately by the Patient engagement agreement for that project, in accordance with CIHR guidelines and institutional requirements. If you are a person with lived experience and have successfully become a POPCORN member, you may be eligible for compensation for your contributions. To learn more, please contact our Patient Engagement team at michelle.quinlan@sickkids.ca.
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Patient & Family members have:
Access to POPCORN communications and newsletters
Invitation to POPCORN annual conference and scientific day
Patient & Family Partner members may identify themselves as POPCORN patient and family partners in materials related to their specific POPCORN engagement, but may not use the affiliation for other purposes. Additionally, the POPCORN Governance Committee will maintain a curated version of strategic documents suitable for Patient & Family Partner members, excluding sensitive financial, operational, or internal deliberation material.
Associate Membership
Who Qualifies?
Public health officials; hospital/health system administrators; eligible non-profit employees; international members
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Associate membership is available to individuals who work in roles directly relevant to POPCORN's purpose, but who are not eligible under the above membership types. Associate members include:
Public Health Officials
Individuals employed by federal, provincial, territorial, or municipal public health agencies (including but not limited to Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), Canadian Institutes for Health Information (CIHI), and provincial ministries of health or related organizations) in roles related to child or perinatal health, infectious disease, immunization, or population health.
Hospital and Health System Administrators
Senior and mid-level administrative leaders at hospitals or health systems whose work is relevant to pediatric or perinatal care. This includes senior leaders (Chief Executive Office, Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Chief Nursing Officer) as well as mid-level managers such as department heads, program directors, and clinical operations managers.
Non-profit Organization Employees
Employees of non-governmental and non-profit organizations with a mandate relevant to child or perinatal health (e.g., Canada's Children's Hospital Foundations, UNICEF Canada) may be eligible for Associate membership. Eligibility for non-profit employees must be approved on a case-by-case basis by the Operations Team.
International Members
An individual who resides outside Canada and wishes to participate in POPCORN’s activities, and network. International Members may include individuals who are citizens or permanent residents of another country, individuals temporarily residing abroad, or professionals and stakeholders who maintain an international connection to the organization. Funding opportunities and member benefits may differ, as eligibility for some opportunities is restricted to Canadian members, or other criteria that International Members may not meet.
Industry partners (pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations, diagnostic companies, vaccine manufacturers, and other commercial entities) are not eligible for Associate membership under this policy. Relationships with industry partners are governed by separate POPCORN governance documents.
Associate members have access to POPCORN communications, events, and published outputs. They are not eligible for in-kind research support, trainee awards, or seed funding unless a specific program explicitly extends eligibility to Associate members.
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Associate members have:
Access to POPCORN communications and newsletters
Invitation to POPCORN annual conference and scientific day
The POPCORN Governance Committee will maintain a curated version of strategic documents suitable for Associate members, excluding sensitive financial, operational, or internal deliberation material.
Membership FAQs
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Yes, POPCORN memberships are valid for two years. All members must renew during the renewal window, which is between January 1 – March 1 every two years.
POPCORN will send renewal reminders by email in January of the renewal year. Members who do not renew by March 1 are classified as inactive and lose all membership rights until renewal is completed. Inactive members may re-activate their membership at any time by completing renewal through the portal.
At membership renewal, POPCORN will collect information relevant for grant reporting, such as:
Committee or team participation
Information on highly qualified personnel
Publications
POPCORN leveraging in grant applications
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Each membership is verified based on the category.
De facto memberships are automatic upon committee appointment, and are confirmed by POPCORN operations team.
Regular memberships require self-attestation at registration. POPCORN may conduct periodic spot-checks to verify these memberships.
Trainee memberships require confirmation of your supervisor's POPCORN membership at registration, and your supervisor is notified.
Patient & Family Partner memberships require a self-declaration with identification of affiliated POPCORN project(s).
Associate membership for those in public health or administrator roles require self-attestation at registration.
Associate membership for those in a non-profit requires Operations Team approval after registration to confirm membership.
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A member may resign at any time by notifying the POPCORN operations team at popcorn@micyrn.ca.
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Members who do not complete renewal by March 1 are classified as inactive and lose membership rights. Inactive status is not permanent termination; membership can be reactivated upon renewal.
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Any member who no longer meets the eligibility criteria for any membership category (e.g., leaves an affiliated institution, leaves a root network, or graduates without qualifying under another category) should notify POPCORN and will be given 60 days to demonstrate continued eligibility or transition to a qualifying category, with the exception of trainee members whose supervisor loses POPCORN membership. They will retain a six-month extension period as described above.
Ready to Apply?
We welcome new members from across Canada and beyond! Click the button below to access our online membership application.