Education Scholarship
Dr. Maria Athina (Tina) Martimianakis is Professor and Director of Medical Education Scholarship in the Department of Paediatrics, and Scientist and Associate Director of Collaborations and Partnerships, at Wilson Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto. She joined the Department in 2009.
She holds a Master's in Political Science, from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Master's in Education with a focus on health professional education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE/UT), where she also completed a Doctorate in Higher Education.
Tina’s research explores how discourses (dominant ideas of what makes a “good” physician) shape professional identity and the development and application of expertise. She examines how these discourses manifest as tacit socializing influences, or hidden curriculum effects, that support or hinder learning and how organizations may unintentionally contribute to knowledge stratification. Her work focuses on themes like collaboration, humanism, and globalization, analyzing how such narratives influence values among healthcare providers, learners, and patients.
In her educational practice, Tina applies critical and socio-cultural pedagogies to develop programs that address hidden curriculum effects, improve the learning environment, and support health professionals in navigating the complexities of the social world in their educational work.
Tina works with educational leaders in the Department of Paediatrics and across the Faculty of Medicine to enhance educational scholarship, and to contribute to efforts to improve the learning environment with policy and curriculum interventions.
Education Scholarship Enhancement Committee (ESEC)
Overview
ESEC sets standards for recognizing educational scholarships and contributes to departmental strategic planning by identifying educational priorities and needs. Its members include scientists, clinical educators, and learners bring expertise in educational research, pedagogy, program development, and faculty development.
ESEC mentors faculty and learners, fosters collaboration across TASHN, and oversees key initiatives, including Medical Education Day and the adjudication of the Paediatrics Consultants Grants. As the program planning committee for Medical Education Day, ESEC selects the conference theme and ensures alignment with the Department’s strategic goals.
Research consultations by the committee are available only during the Paediatric Consultants Grant cycle, which typically opens in April or May (dates subject to change). For more information, please contact Evelyne Kiiza at educ.scholarshipoffice@sickkids.ca.
Learning Environment Committee (LEC)
Overview
The LEC aims to enhance the clinical training programs within the Department of Paediatrics by developing evidence-based strategies focused on improving the learning environment.
Using rigorous, research-informed analysis, the LEC produces reports that highlight both strengths and challenges in the learning environment, offering actionable recommendations. Its work supports professional identity formation, addresses hidden curriculum effects, and aligns with accreditation standards—contributing to continuous quality improvement in medical education.
Faculty and Learner Development
Addressing Hidden Curriculum Effects
Since 2019, the MES Office has led over 50 workshops on the hidden curriculum, helping faculty and learners address its effects as part of educational quality improvement and accreditation. This work includes in-person training, an e-learning module used across SickKids and Temerty Medicine, and national consultation and mentorship led by Dr. Martimianakis. Most recently, the office launched Hidden Curriculum workshops tailored for administrative staff and program coordinators, in partnership with the Postgraduate Medical Education Office – Program Evaluation & Quality Assurance.
For more information, please contact: educ.scholarshipoffice@sickkids.ca
Learning Environment Workshops
The Department of Paediatrics has prioritized enhancing the clinical learning environment through the work of the Learning Environment Committee (LEC), established in 2022 under the leadership of Dr. Tina Martimianakis. Using a data-driven, continuous quality improvement approach, the LEC systematically collects and analyzes feedback across all divisions to identify challenges, raise awareness, and implement evidence-based strategies for improvement. The LEC also offers personalized workshops to meet divisional faculty and learner needs related to the learning environment. By combining rigorous assessment with proactive support, the LEC is helping to build a sustainable, responsive learning environment. The approach is gaining recognition as an innovative quality improvement model nationally and internationally. Looking ahead, the LEC is refining its analyses using advanced techniques, including AI-driven evaluation, to better detect trends and guide targeted interventions.
Medical Education Scholarship Rounds
Medical Education Scholarship (MES) Rounds provide a forum for faculty and trainees to share their educational research and scholarship and an opportunity to think about methodological issues. The rounds are intended to have practical application to educational work. Typically occurs on the first Friday of every month (subject to change).
If you are interested in presenting at MES Rounds please contact
kimberly.young@sickkids.ca
For more information please contact: educ.scholarshipoffice@sickkids.ca
Mentoring and Community Building
Mentoring Educational Practice for Faculty and Trainees
Dr. Martimianakis and members of ESEC provides ongoing mentorship and consultations to faculty and trainees interested in pursuing health professional education scholarship projects. Dr. Martimianakis also provides educational resources to support individual projects and introduces faculty and trainees to other educational experts locally and internationally.
Building a community of Practice
The Education Scholarship Office organizes annual seminars and workshops—ranging from one hour to full-day sessions —tailored to faculty and learner needs. Topics have included research dissemination, qualitative methods, and preparing education dossiers. Collaborations with the Wilson Centre and other departments support networking and foster a broader community of educational practice.
Additional Resources: Graduate Training
Master of Science in Community Health in Health Practitioner Teacher Education
The MScCH degree in HPTE is a professional graduate degree program in the Dalla Lana School of Public Health offered through the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto. This unique graduate studies program addresses a critical faculty development need in the health professions. The program prepares practicing clinicians for educational leadership roles. Courses focus on practical skills clinicians need to teach, design and lead educational programs. Two core courses in Public Health expose students to system and policy issues important in their roles as clinicians and educators, and electives allow learners to explore their interests.
Applications for the 2025-2026 admission cycle for Fall 2025 program entry are now closed.
Applications will reopen mid-October 2025 and close mid-January 2026 for the 2026-2027 academic year.
PhD Program in Health Professions Education Research
The Health Professions Education Research (HPER) doctoral concentration, offered by the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (IHPME) in collaboration with the Wilson Centre, leverages the strengths of both institutions to deliver a multidisciplinary program focused on advancing health professions education.
The program emphasizes theory-practice integration, diverse research methodologies, and interdisciplinary perspectives from the biomedical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Students will develop skills in data analysis, research design, and critical inquiry, supported by strong mentorship and collaborative opportunities.
Open to students from health, natural and social sciences, and humanities, HPER aims to build a community of scholars equipped to lead evidence-based educational innovation and improve healthcare outcomes in Canada and beyond. Drs. Maria Mylopoulos (Program Director), Tina Martimianakis, and Catharine Walsh, from the Department of Paediatrics, also teach and provide graduate supervision in the HPER program.
For more information on the program visit the University of Toronto Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation page or ihpme.hper@utoronto.ca.
Grants
Funding for Scholarly Initiatives
The Director of MES and the ESEC committee oversee internal educational grant competitions, including the Paediatric Consultants Medical Education Research & Innovation Grants. All applications undergo a rigourous adjudication process that includes formative feedback and optional resubmission. This approach strengthens proposal quality and aligns with the department’s mentorship priorities by offering coaching and consultation throughout the grant development process.
Paediatrics Consultants Education Grants
Educational Research Grant
This grant supports educational research projects related to child health within the Department of Paediatrics. It aims to foster research productivity, including pilot studies that can lead to external funding. Projects must have a defined objective and an educational focus. Maximum funding per project is $10,000.
The grant competition typically opens in late April and closes in late May (timeline subject to change).
PDF- 2025 Educational Reseach Grant Proposal Requirements & Application (1).pdf
Educational Innovation & Development Grant
This grant supports the creation and advancement of innovative educational initiatives in child health. It is intended to enhance scholarly activity through pilot or development-focused projects with clear objectives. Maximum funding per project is $10,000.
The grant competition typically opens in late April and closes in late May (timeline subject to change).
PDF- 2025 Educational Innovation and Development Grant Proposal Requirements & Application (1).pdf
External Funding Opportunities
Aside from the internal grants listed above, please find a selection of resource pages and external funding opportunities that you may be eligible for
Education Research/Scholarship Grants – CPD University of Toronto
For grants and research funding support please
Grant Research Funding Support:
U of T Funding Database
Funding Opportunities | Research and Health Science Education
For consultation and mentorship prior to submission, please contact: educ.scholarshipoffice@sickkids.ca
Medical Education Day
Medical Education Day is the Department’s annual capstone conference celebrating educational excellence and advancing best practices in medical training. External and internal experts provide grand rounds and keynote presentations. The Conference also offers faculty, administrator and learner development on timely topics to support continuous improvement in our training programs.
Recent themes have included humanism in healthcare, professional identity, workplace-based assessment, and navigating failure (‘Productive Struggle’).
Upcoming
Medical Education Day
Date: Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
More Information Coming Soon!