On January 30, 2023, Canada’s knowledge mobilization network, Research Impact Canada (RIC), welcomed four new members, including two Canadian universities, one UK university and one Canadian funder.
Founded in 2006, RIC is a member driven network that helps research institutions build their capacity for knowledge mobilization and research impact. York University and University of Victoria were the original two members. Since then, RIC membership has grown organically with potential new members reaching out and completing the membership application process. The criterion for new members is straightforward: have a research mission and a commitment to creating societal impacts from research. RIC helps member institutions build institutional capacity by acting as a community of practice comprising of research administrators, communicators, librarians, community/public engagement specialists, evaluators, and knowledge mobilization practitioners.
RIC members were exclusively Canadian universities until 2017 when we welcomed the University of Brighton (UK). We diversified our membership in 2021 when we welcomed our first non-university member, Ontario Shores, a mental health research and clinical practice with a strong culture of patient and family involvement in research.
We are now delighted to welcome new members that increase our international reach and further diversify our membership.
University of Windsor has three goals for their RIC membership.
- To provide more knowledge mobilization support to all disciplines, in particular the arts, humanities, and social sciences.
- To develop and advance the University of Windsor’s knowledge mobilization capacity, strategies, and networks
- To leverage the partnerships within Research Impact Canada to expand our networks, strengthen our engagement with the community, and explore different approaches to dissemination and outreach.
Lakehead University’s Office of Research Services (ORS) is already leading the delivery of knowledge mobilization services including, but not limited to, support for knowledge mobilization and impact strategies in grant applications. Beyond ORS and even the university, Lakehead “recognizes the tremendous scope, potential, and multi-faceted opportunities that this emerging field offers in advancing local communities’ socio-economic well-being.” Lakehead is the host to the C2UExpo 2023.
Not to be confused with RIC’s lead institution, York University, the University of York (UK) hopes “to expand the breadth of our thinking about how we can best support research impact at the University of York from an international perspective. Access to tools and resources would be an important benefit to us, but the opportunity to network with other knowledge mobilization professionals–on a continuing basis– is anticipated to be a valuable element to international affiliate membership.”
Brain Canada, our first research funder member, has three goals for RIC membership:
- Build capacity within Brain Canada for achieving impact with its funded research projects, through participating in RIC’s Community of Practice.
- Develop impact measurement standards for research impact
- Increase capacity for research impact and KMb, and buy-in among researchers in the brain health sphere (beyond neuroscientists, includes social scientists and others of diverse academic backgrounds)
Enhanced international engagement and increased membership diversity will help RIC develop and deliver services to benefit member institutions. Building institutional capacity for knowledge mobilization and research impact will in turn benefit all researchers and their partnerships with and impact on local and global communities.
The benefits of RIC membership are on the RIC website. For more information on RIC membership please send an e mail to info@researchimpact.ca.