About Research Impact Canada

Research Impact Canada (RIC) is committed to helping universities and other organizations across Canada maximize the impact of research for communities.

From sharing best practices, co-developing resources, to delivering training in knowledge mobilization skills, we are an open and collaborative network of 20+ universities (and growing!) across Canada.

Key Documents


Click here to view key documents such as the annual reports, evaluation reports, and bilingualism guidelines.

What We Do

Research Impact Canada (RIC) is a national leader in the practice of creating value and impact from knowledge. RIC’s focus is geared towards academic and non-academic stakeholders, bilingual, and national in scope. We work with all parties – researchers, research administrative staff, academics, students, faculty, public sector leaders, projects dedicated to skills development – across a variety of organizations, without limitations or restrictions

We help build institutional and organizational capacity through:

  • Facilitating active dialogue and sharing of learnings with frequent engagement in a national community of practice with members who have opportunities to contribute unique content (e.g., institutional strategy, rural and remote community engagement, certification programs, local community partnerships) to RIC members
  • Developing and sharing tools and resources in creating impactful research and meaningful engagement
  • Delivering training in key knowledge mobilization areas such as: impact planning, compelling communications, data visualization, effective stakeholder engagement, impact evaluation, and more.
  • Bringing together stakeholders across Canada who work in knowledge mobilization, research, impact planning, evaluation, and more.
conference attendees

Vision: A globally leading network that enables researchers and their partners to demonstrate contribution to and impact of mobilizing knowledge and research excellence.

Our Story

In 2003, York University’s David J. Phipps saw the opportunity for an institutional investment in maximizing research impact, agnostic of research discipline. While universities have been investing in commercialization and industry liaison these functions do not capture research that has the potential to make an impact on professional practice, social services and public policies.

After three years of partnership building and consultations, RIC was founded in 2006 by York University and the University of Victoria. Since then, we have found incredible value and have been successful in being able to share learnings and best practices across institutions, diverse disciplines, and work functions. Leveraging a national bilingual network, RIC has grown to 20+ universities across Canada in addition to University of Brighton (UK), with a strong regional presence in nine provinces.

In 2019, RIC was invited to support knowledge mobilization efforts and capacity building for the Future Skills Centre, a pan-Canadian initiative dedicated to helping Canadians gain the skills they need to thrive in a changing labour market.

Recognizing that knowledge mobilisation is not unique to universities, In 2021, RIC began piloting membership to non-academic organizations with a research and knowledge mobilization mandate.

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Membership

Membership in Research Impact Canada (RIC) helps your institution become successful in the emerging field of mobilization and creates opportunities for collaboration and leadership.

Learn more about our members, who each have unique specialties such as: institutional strategy, rural and remote community engagement, certification programs, local community partnerships, and more.

Our Team

Operations

David Phipps

Director, Research Impact Canada

Toronto, Ontario
dphipps@yorku.ca

Connie Tang

Director, Strategy & Business Development (On leave)

Toronto, Ontario
tangc@yorku.ca

Bissy L. Waariyo

Director of Operations (Acting)

Toronto, Ontario
bissyw@yorku.ca

Sandy Chan

Operations Officer

Markham, Ontario
sdychan@yorku.ca

Louis Melançon

Bilingual Research Assistant

Montreal, Québec

Julia Levin

Manager, Knowledge Mobilization

Toronto, Ontario
levinj@yorku.ca

Sylvia Urbanik

Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Toronto, Quebec
urbanik@yorku.ca

Lis Huang

Bilingual Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Toronto, Ontario
huange@yorku.ca

Saba Aslani

Bilingual Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Montreal, Quebec
aslanis@yorku.ca

Prama Rahman

Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Metro Vancouver, British Columbia
rahmanp@yorku.ca

Community Engagement

Trudy Button

Manager, Community Engagement

London, Ontario
tbutton@yorku.ca

Crystal Olson

Community Engagement Coordinator

Kakabeka Falls, Ontario
olsonc@yorku.ca

Marie Page

Community Engagement Coordinator

Hamilton, Ontario
mpage@yorku.ca

Meghan Realesmith
Meghan Realesmith

Community Engagement Coordinator

Sarnia, Ontario
mereale@yorku.ca

Evaluation and Continuous Improvement

Kim Knight

Evaluation and Research Analyst

Montreal, Quebec
knightk@yorku.ca

Valentina Latorre Franky

Evaluation and Research Analyst

Toronto, Ontario
vlatorre@yorku.ca

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) York

Michael Johnny

Manager, Knowledge Mobilization

Ontario
mjohnny@yorku.ca

Krista Jensen

Senior Knowledge Mobilization Specialist

Toronto, Ontario
kejensen@yorku.ca

Contact Us

York University – Research Impact Canada (RIC)
Kaneff Tower 625
4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON, M3J 1P3

For inquiries about RIC membership or media, contact David Phipps, York University’s Assistant Vice-President of Research Strategy and Impact and RIC Network Director, at dphipps@yorku.ca for a meeting.