Postcards from Congress Day 4: Riding the Wave!

What Happened: We have been tracking our conversations with delegates while we are here at the ResearchImpact-Réseau Impact Recherche (RI-RIR) booth. This includes a full spectrum of queries (and trust me there has been a spectrum!). For example, on our first day 70% of requests asked where the registration desk is! Fast forward a few days, and on Sunday 70% of our conversations were substantial and related to knowledge mobilization
Why is this Important: Documenting the quantity and quality of our discussions should provide data to support our investment in attending Congress.
Final Thoughts: The annual nature of Congress also allows us to reflect on our growth and our role. I am struck this year with the quality of conversations, notably, ‘how can my university be part of this network’. We have also enjoyed conversations at our booth and at the evening President’s receptions with SSHRC staff, Gisele Yasmeen (VP Partnerships) and Christine Trauttmansdorff (Director, Policy, Planning and International Affairs) and Federation staff Jean-Marc Mangin (Executive Director) and Pierre Normand (Director, Communications). These collegial relationships we have developed with staff at SSHRC and the Federation demonstrates to me that we have truly arrived on the national scene. We have also connected with Budd Hall, Director of University of Victoria’s Office of Community Based Research and with Peter Levesque, with Knowledge Mobilization Works, who has arrived in Montreal today and is sharing booth space with ResearchImpact this week! The investment of four years seems to be paying off from this brokers’ perspective. I am enjoying the ride, and look forward to the growth opportunities from many more years of Congress participation!