May was another banner month for RIC membership growth. In 2023, RIC welcomed a record eight new members. With the three new members welcomed in June, RIC has been pleased to welcome a total of six new members already in 2024. Earlier this year, we welcomed Université Laval, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). The new members below add additional diversity to RIC’s membership including a faith based university in Ottawa, a fourth UK university and the third Ontario mental health centre forming our first opportunity for a consortium membership.
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care (Penetanguishene, Ontario)
Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care and its embedded research unit, the Waypoint Research Institute (WRI), have experienced a significant increase in research projects occurring within and beyond the hospital. As their research expands across new, emerging areas and audiences, one goal is to equip the WRI team with additional tools, resources, and community connections to support their knowledge mobilization efforts and increase their research impact. They will refer colleagues who are conducting research and knowledge mobilization activities to RIC’s learning opportunities and avenues for knowledge mobilization as additional sources of support.
They value the opportunity to work collaboratively and learn alongside colleagues working across Canada and internationally. A second key outcome is the opportunity to collaborate with other organizations conducting similar or complementary research as part of the broader RIC network. Waypoint can work alongside colleagues at Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences and The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre as a consortium of mental health research centres in Ontario.
St Paul University (Ottawa, Ontario)
SPU’s strengths are in bridging areas of research and knowledge as well as offering a unique angle in leadership through spirituality. SPU houses many research centers, as well as two colleges. They firmly believe that in an age of increasing globalization, university research and teaching should contribute to the modern project of making the world a better, more humane community.
SPU hopes to become successful at knowledge mobilization for the benefit of researchers and students. Improved capacity in knowledge mobilization strategies will help raise the university’s profile and ensure that the good research being conducted is put into the hands of knowledge users who can help to create impacts for stakeholders, communities, and individuals who might benefit from research findings.
University of Bristol (Bristol, UK)
Across the University of Bristol there are many groups of individuals within departments working on ensuring the opportunities for research impact are maximised. However, the terminology used across the university is often different and there is a risk of duplication of effort. Bristol Medical School has adopted the term knowledge mobilisation due to its use by the School’s main external funder the National Institute for Health and Social Care (NIHR). Through joining as a member of RIC they will gather consensus around the activities in the generating impact and knowledge mobilisation space at the University of Bristol and from this standpoint identify where there may be opportunities to strengthen capacity. In addition, it is anticipated that this process could surface best practices and the generation of new learning in this space for the University of Bristol, with Research Impact Canada as a reference point and potentially an organisational critical friend.
We welcome Bristol as RIC’s fourth UK member.
This growth is amazing and is testament to the value Research Impact Canada provides to members. We are member driven and new members create new demands on staff and on established members who can act as beacons, mentors and leaders in their own right. The Research Impact Canada Implementation Committee will be having a conversation about how we sustain meaningful engagement with a growing cohort of new and established members so that everyone can continue benefit from membership.