Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Archives | Research & Innovation

Knowledge Mobilization Unit offers innovative, hands-on course to support researchers

ls1207 — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 18:10:50 +0000

91��ɫ’s commitment to the dissemination of knowledge has been the foundation of many exciting and innovative programs and partnerships. One recent example of this is gaining traction from universities across the nation and, in doing so, solidifying 91��ɫ’s role as a trailblazer in knowledge mobilization.

Krista Jensen

Krista Jensen, knowledge mobilization officer in Innovation 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit, helps connect academic research with public policy and practice. She runs MobilizeYU, an engaging and hands-on program to support researchers in mobilizing their research and making it accessible.(Note: The course is called MobilizeYU, but for audiences outside of 91��ɫ the name is adapted to MobilizeU.)

“A lot of research is publicly funded, and we feel there’s an obligation to bring that research back to community,” she explains. “It’s really all about making research useful.”

Jensen sat down with Laila Sheather, a work/study student in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, to discuss MobilizeYU.

Q: Please describe MobilizeYU and its key audience.

A: Our mandate is to connect academic research with people outside of the University. We’ve been in operation since 2006, and something we’ve been hearing over the last couple years is the desire to learn more about what knowledge mobilization is – it’s not a very intuitive term – and people might not be sure how to do it.

Three years ago, we decided to put together an eight-week course to come up with something more comprehensive. We wanted to give people some hands-on skills that they could use for research projects or when developing grant applications.

Jensen emphasizes that this work is all about making research useful

MobilizeYU is aimed at all faculty members, postdocs, grad students, staff, recent alumni (graduating in the last two years) and community partners. We have accepted people outside of 91��ɫ to come, but we often charge them for it. It’s free for anybody at 91��ɫ and their community partners.

Q: How has it expanded recently to Making the Shift, Research Impact Canada and other universities?

A: Some of our partners at Research Impact Canada, a network of universities committed to maximizing the impact of academic research for the public good, come from smaller institutions that don’t have the capacity to develop a whole course. When we were planning this summer, we decided this would be a good opportunity to see if some of them could join us. Every university has its strengths, and we thought there might be some modules they’d be able to provide some information for.

About 15 members from Making the Shift are going to be taking the course this summer and they come from all different universities and organizations across Canada. Making the Shift contributes to the transformation of how we respond to youth homelessness through research and knowledge mobilization specific to youth homelessness prevention and housing stabilization.

For this summer, we launched a pilot working with the University of Winnipeg and Memorial University, so that’s been pretty exciting because we’ve really expanded the reach and offered new content to participants. Last summer we had 85 people register and this summer we’ve had just over 140.

These collaborations have also created innovative content in other universities, such as the University of Winnipeg’s new focus on Indigeneity, by creating a module on Respectful Knowledge Mobilization with Indigenous communities.

In addition to our participants from 91��ɫ, the University of Winnipeg and Memorial University, we’ve had diverse participants from organizations such as the Manitoba Research Alliance, Lawson Health Research Institute, Kenora Chiefs Advisory, Gambling Research Exchange Ontario, Arthritis Society and voicED Radio Canada. Participants also come from Western University, Saint Mary’s University, University of Manitoba, University of Alberta, Carleton University, University of Windsor, Ontario Tech University, Queen’s University, University of Victoria, MacEwan University, Dalhousie University and Maskwacis Cultural College.

We’ve reached a wide scope of participants and supported more than 280 internal stakeholders over the span of three years, including those from Making the Shift.

MobilizeYU’s pilot program with the University of Winnipeg and Memorial University, showcasing this summer’s topics

Q: What’s next for the program?

Recently, we’ve been working on customized versions of the course for people outside of 91��ɫ. Last fall, the Student Association of Gerontology – Student Connection @ 91��ɫ – worked with us to put together an eight-week course and pick topics specifically related to gerontology. About 80 students had taken the course and we got great feedback. We featured gerontology researchers who discussed their knowledge mobilization strategies, which allowed students to gain more specific knowledge. We also wrote a paper with them that was just submitted to a journal.

We also designed a customized course with the Pacific Forest Centre in early 2021, which is part of the Canadian Forest Service within Natural Resources Canada. We showcased forestry experts as guest speakers who shared more knowledge mobilization info that was specific to forestry.

These customized courses have given us access to a wide audience beyond 91��ɫ where we can showcase 91��ɫ’s strengths. In the future, we hope to do more customized programs because they’re a good way to grow the program and help 91��ɫ become further recognized as a leader in knowledge mobilization.

To learn more about the Knowledge Mobilization Unit (KMb), visit its . To learn more about MobilizeYU, click . For specific questions, contact Krista Jensen at kejensen@yorku.ca.

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow ; watch the new , which profiles current research strengths and areas of opportunity, such as artificial intelligence and Indigenous futurities; and see the snapshot infographic, a glimpse of the year’s successes.

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Catching up with David Phipps, international leader in Knowledge Mobilization

muellerm — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000

At the helm of Research Impact Canada, David Phipps, travels the world to share best practices in knowledge mobilization (KMb). He chats with Brainstorm about the outcomes and impact of this high-profile work.

David Phipps

Assistant Vice-President, Research Strategy & Impact (Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation),��David Phipps, has an ambitious international mandate. He travels to the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Spain and Denmark to share his expertise in knowledge mobilization with a global audience ultimately creating an impact for 91��ɫ.

Phipps, who also heads up Research Impact Canada (RIC), sits down with��Brainstorm to discuss this vital international effort.

Q:��Can you give us a glimpse of your calendar?��What institutions outside of Canada invited you to speak or present in 2019 and 2020 to date?

A:��In 2019, I was engaged by New Zealand’s Ministry of Education to serve on a committee to review how academic research is assessed. I was additionally retained by the Ministry of Health [same country] to help them implement their national health research strategy. I also did a workshop with KT Australia. As well, the Southern Danish University hosted a conference of the Danish Association of Research Managers and Administrators, to which I was invited. I also travelled to the University of Southern California, Division of Occupational Therapy. And the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, asked me to do some workshops at a conference.

More recently, in February 2020, I visited six academic institutions in Melbourne, Australia that cost-shared to bring me over to work with them.

As well, RIC has a collaboration with a U.S. network called Advancing Research Impact for Society. We are always looking for opportunities to collaborate – the American and the Canadian networks.

Research Impact Canada at a glance – some key statistics.

Q:��What kind of long-term relationships are you fostering with universities outside of Canada?

A: The way I view relationships with international organizations is that I learn when I go there, and I bring that knowledge back, so we can improve the work that we do locally, within our practices at 91��ɫ and in Canada.

Impact literacy diagram developed by Phipps and Bayley. Source: Real Impact: Institutional Healthcheck Workbook (Emerald Publishing).

Reciprocally, this work helps to raise awareness of 91��ɫ’s research and impact – so there’s a reputational benefit. As an example, I’m in an on-going collaboration with Julie Bayley, director of research impact development at the University of Lincoln in the U.K. We’ve been working together on research literacy since 2016. We’ve published in peer-reviewed academic literature. In addition, Emerald Publishing, a global academic publisher hosted in England, has picked up our work. It is now turning our work, and the tools we’ve developed in research impact literacy, into online tools and services to benefit researchers and research institutions around the world.

That’s a great example of how our work, how my collaborative work with an international university, is creating benefits – not just for 91��ɫ, not just for Canada, but for institutions around the world.

Knowledge broker competency wheel developed by Phipps and Bayley. Source: Real Impact: Institutional Healthcheck Workbook (Emerald Publishing).

Q:��In what areas are the universities looking for the most guidance?

A:��There are three things I’m often asked to talk about: (1) How do you create impact? That is, planning for impacting grant applications. We’ve developed tools and workshops to help our researchers and their partners to co-create impact strategies for grant application; (2) How do you collect the evidence of impact? This includes how to communicate this evidence; and (3) How do we know that our research institute is ready to support impact? Here, the audience is comprised of academic leaders and senior research grant administrators.

Often, we assess the institution’s readiness to support impact by asking key questions, such as: What is the context in which you are working? What are the collaborations you’ve set up? What is the clarity of your communications? How are you coproducing?

Q:��What kind of metrics underscore the value of this international work?

A:��Our work is best described qualitatively, through reputational benefits. All the international institutions that I visited have invited me. These invitations are a measure of the reputation of both the work we’re doing at 91��ɫ and within RIC.

This diagram, developed by Phipps, illustrates the pathway to impact, one of the key concepts that he discusses during presentations to universities around the globe.

I’ll use a Canadian example: The U15 Provosts tasked the Canadian Association of Research Libraries to develop a scholarly communications road map with the aim of initiating conversations with key stakeholders about the challenges and opportunities in the current scholarly publishing landscape. The interest expressed by senior university administrators has been encouraging and suggests that a road map with clear markers for stimulating positive change in scholarly communications would be very helpful. One of their priorities on the road map was research impact – not bibliometrics, but impacts beyond research. Joy Kirchner, dean of libraries at 91��ɫ, was the chair of the project and one of the authors. In the course of the work she relayed to me that when this item was being discussed, she heard: “Let’s consult with 91��ɫ.” So, people are coming to us because of our reputation and leadership in this space.

To read RIC’s annual report, visit the��. To learn more about RIC, visit the��. To read about the impact of research, via Emerald Publishing, go��. For an example of a research paper by Phipps and Bayley, go��. To read��Real Impact: Institutional Healthcheck Workbook��(Emerald Publishing), visit the��.

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at��; watch our new��, which profiles current research strengths and areas of opportunity, such as Artificial Intelligence and Indigenous futurities; and see the��,��a glimpse of the year’s successes.

By Megan Mueller, senior manager, Research Communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ,��muellerm@yorku.ca

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Workshop helps grad students use plain language when writing about research

muellerm — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 10:00:00 +0000

Innovation 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization unit launched a pilot project with Glendon Campus and two Faculties to engage graduate students in clear language writing about research. Manager Michael Johnny plans to expand this successful pilot across campus in 2019-2010. ��

Innovation 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) unit is a national and international leader. It has a suite of services that create connections between researchers and community and government organizations to support the development of research partnerships and the dissemination of research results. It has also created training tools for developing and implementing KMb strategies.

This productive and award-winning unit has turned its attention to a much-needed area: lay or plain language writing about research. This past fall, it launched a pilot project, a workshop, with Glendon Campus and the Faculties of Health and Science to train graduate students in this vital area.

“The interest and enthusiasm around this pilot, to date, has been very positive,” says Manager Michael Johnny. “Our goal is to expand this pilot to Faculties across campus, those interested in participating in 2019-2020,” he adds.

This pilot project, facilitated by the KMb unit, was met with much interest and enthusiasm

KMb unit provides vital learning experiences at 91��ɫ

Michael Johnny

The KMb unit has an ambitious portfolio. “From partnerships with community organizations to grad student internships to assessment of research impact, this unit is a wonderful complement to the existing services provided by the Innovation 91��ɫ office,” says Johnny. As manager, he is responsible for all KMb operations and he provides leadership in brokering collaborative projects.

Training is an important part of this. “We provide learning opportunities for 91��ɫ researchers, staff, grad students and external partners to help make research relevant to community programs and policy development. We also deliver customized learning sessions to research teams to provide information, skills and experience in KMb,” Johnny explains.

Some examples of learning sessions that have been offered in the past include:

building a KMb strategy;
impact and accountability in KMb;
social media strategy building for research teams; and
hands-on training in WordPress and Twitter.

It started with research snapshots …

Since 2008, the KMb unit has provided campus-wide service support for the development of lay summaries of research findings, papers or outputs – called “research snapshots.” How was this undertaken? Student writers, trained in plain language writing, produced short, two-page summaries of peer-reviewed research, using a template developed in partnership with Research Impact Canada.

Ten years later, in 2018, the KMb unit took this idea to the next level and piloted a new project, a workshop on the development of research snapshots, working in partnership with three 91��ɫ entities: the Faculties of Health and Science, and Glendon Campus.

The objectives of this pilot project were:

to help grad students become highly qualified personnel;
to optimize KMb service for faculty members; and
to support the mobilization and dissemination of research in Faculties across campus.

Pilot launched last fall

The pilot project launched in November 2018. The Faculty of Health – specifically, the Department of Psychology – went first: 14 grad students attended a free, hands-on workshop on plain language writing and design principles. In early December 2018, the KMb unit next collaborated with the Faculty of Science, where over 20 grad students participated in the workshop.

How did it work? The participating students summarized research undertaken and provided by their supervisors or others in their department; they created research snapshots. In return, the KMb unit provided the student a stipend for their work.

The pilot continues in 2019. Early in the new year, the KMb unit will offer the workshop to grad students at Glendon. This will complete the initial pilot.

Glendon grad students participated in this plain language workshop

Benefits for graduate students and Faculties

The advantages for students are evident: they will receive valuable skills that will complement their scholarly training, as well as modest payment for their contributions.

The benefits for Faculties and, more broadly speaking, for 91��ɫ are also clear: “Faculties across campus will have more control over the development of research snapshots, allowing them greater capacity to support their own KMb objectives,” says Johnny. “Ultimately, this pilot can help 91��ɫ expand its leadership in KMb in Canada,” he adds.

The research snapshot template used in this pilot has been used by nine partner organizations. Collectively, they have developed over 2,000 research summaries in Canada. The KMb unit alone has over 400 summaries. These are stored in the 91��ɫ Library in an Open Access “D Space” repository.

To learn more about Innovation 91��ɫ, visit the . For more on the KMb unit, visit the .

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at , watch the and see the .

By Megan Mueller, senior manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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Landmark project brings to light crimes against humanity in African war zones

muellerm — Mon, 07 May 2018 08:00:00 +0000

SSHRC-funded project documents conjugal slavery in conflict regions of Africa. With high-profile partners, this pioneering research team is now sharing its work with a global audience thanks to the guidance of 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit.

For seven years, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies Professor Annie Bunting has been working on a ground-breaking project, “Conjugal Slavery in War (CSiW): Partnerships for the study of enslavement, marriage and masculinities.” This venture seeks to document cases of forced marriage in conflict situations in Africa, to place this data in historical context and to impact the international prosecution of crimes against humanity as well as local reparations programs for survivors of violence.

Bunting has awarded a progression of major funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to support this work; she won a Partnership Development Grant (2011-2015), then a Partnership Grant (2015-2020).

Women’s Advocacy Network members, Gulu, Uganda 2012. Photo credit: Annie Bunting

Pressing themes have now emerged from this work, as well as gaps in knowledge, such as men’s experiences of being ordered to be violent and children’s experiences of being stigmatized for being born as the result of sexual violence.

“This project will strengthen an individual’s and an organization's capacity to prevent violence and advance understanding of the use of conjugal slavery as a tool of war through evidence-based research,” Bunting explains.

Annie Bunting (left). The “Conjugal Slavery in War (CSiW)” project documents cases of forced marriage in conflict situations in Africa.

91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Unit is working with the project organizers to help them spread the word about this vital project.

Interdisciplinary team includes 10 partners, 25 collaborators across 10 countries

Bunting’s project has grown exponentially and attracted, to date, 10 partners and 25 collaborators and graduate students across ten countries. High-profile partners include Solidarité Féminine pour la paix et le développement Intégral (SOFEPADI), PLAN International, the Liu Institute for Global Issues, and the Harriet Tubman Institute.

This interdisciplinary team of researchers and partners explores the social and legal meaning of conjugal slavery or servile marriage during war, and the implications of this gender violence in post-conflict situations. Through archival, qualitative and legal research, this project examines the experiences of women and men who were subject to or participated in enslavement in the conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Uganda.

Gulu, Uganda 2012. Photo credit: Annie Bunting

More specifically, since monitoring the prosecution of gender violence at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the partners have been working in Sierra Leone, Uganda and DRC to track the developments of international criminal law, national laws and local reparations programs. Bunting and her colleagues submitted a brief on forced marriage as a crime against humanity to the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia in 2016.

Project offers 250 powerful interviews with survivors

In addition to legal monitoring, the researchers have gathered over 250 interviews with survivors of abduction and forced marriage. In February 2018, CSiW coproduced “Life of the Law,” a four-part podcast in a series on Uganda by Gladys Oroma. This follows the lives of Beatrice Ocwee and Samuel Akena, two of the thousands of children who were abducted in northern Uganda and held captive by LRA rebels from the 1980s to 2008. This podcast series was downloaded almost 80,000 times across 60 countries throughout the two months of the series in 2018.

Equally compelling material includes powerful advocacy documentaries, such as:

“They Slept with Me,” by the Refugee Law Project, which features an interview with a father of seven who was attacked and raped by government soldiers in northern Uganda;
“Parenting the Missing,” also by the Refugee Law Project, which contains an interview with a mother whose only daughter was captured by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA, the rebel group in Uganda) and has never returned; and
“I am not who they think I am,” by the International Centre for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), which features an interview with a young Ugandan woman, born as the result of sexual violence, who sees herself as a burden to society. This video, provided below with permission from ICTJ, also contains interviews with mothers, abducted and raped, who were rejected by their community when they beat the odds and returned from captivity.

CSiW has been gaining attention. CBC’s “The Current” recently aired an interview with one of the project’s collaborators, Grace Acan from Uganda.

CSiW participants, Stella Lanam and Grace Acan. Gulu, Uganda 2012. Photo credit: Annie Bunting

Themes brought to the fore, important knowledge gaps identified

Several key themes have emerged from this research, which need further attention and study. The team aims to fill the following gaps in knowledge:

Research on men’s experiences of forced marriage – this includes being ordered to be violent;
The post-conflict impact of stigma on children born as the result of sexual violence;
Research on the relationship between wartime violence and existing and historical gender norms; and
The ongoing debates about the effectiveness of the tribunals and commissions, including government and international reparations programs.

Knowledge Mobilization Unit helps project team connect with global audience

For the past three years, Bunting and Project Coordinator Véronique Bourget, have worked closely with 91��ɫ’s KMb Unit. Michael Johnny, manager of the KMb Unit, explains: “Our team presented to the project’s partners on KMb principles and recommended activities for the project team to consider.��We sought to engage and help connect the research and research findings with global audiences.”

One key planning tool was the creation of a five-year plan for KMb.

Five-year plan for this project’s knowledge mobilization

Consultations with the KMb Unit have also led to the creation of a four-part podcast series to engage audiences around important issues. Additionally, Bunting and her project team are developing plans to exhibit at the Canadian Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg this fall.

To learn more about Bunting, visit her . For more information on CSiW, visit the . To watch the videos, see . To listen to the Uganda podcast, visit the . ��To read the brief on forced marriage as a crime against humanity, visit the . To see “Life of the Law,” visit the . To watch “The Current” interview with Acan, visit the

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at , watch the and see the .

By Megan Mueller, manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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Seminal report on youth homelessness delivers sound policy recommendations

muellerm — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Through a ground-breaking new brief, the Homeless Hub paints a vivid picture of youth homelessness and the child welfare system. Its findings will be relevant to decision- and policy-makers at all levels of government.

The Homeless Hub, the research arm of the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness (COH) at 91��ɫ, is knowledge mobilization at its best. This organization undertakes trail-blazing research that informs policy and affects meaningful change. Most recently, the Homeless Hub released a report, Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada: A Proposal for Action (2017), published by COH Press in partnership with A Way Home Canada, and funded by the Home Depot Canada Foundation’s Orange Door Project.

New report sheds light on youth homelessness.

Using freshly mined data from Without a Home: The National Youth Homelessness Survey (2016), researchers led by President and CEO of Homeless Hub/COH and 91��ɫ Faculty of Education Professor Stephen Gaetz shed new light on this pressing issue. Capturing the experiences of 1,103 homeless young people in 42 different communities in nine provinces and Nunavut, the survey offers the first national portrait of Canada’s population of homeless youth. Its breadth allowed the researchers to gain previously unattainable information, expose some unsettling facts and provide sound policy recommendations.

Stephen Gaetz

This report paints a new and vivid picture of youth homelessness that underscores a connection to the child welfare system, with an emphasis on the transition from care. Thirty per cent of surveyed youth see this transition as directly impacting their current situation of homelessness, and 57 per cent of youth who “aged out” of care would have appreciated continued support, if it were available.

“Child protection legislation and practice haven’t kept pace with current social and economic changes that make it much more difficult for people in their teens and twenties to live independently,” says Gaetz.

This is Gaetz’s lifework. In fact, in 2016, he was appointed to the Order of Canada for his leadership in providing evidence-based research to policy makers and practitioners in the movement to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada.

Few organizations are better set up than the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and the Homeless Hub to make policy suggestions in this area. A core belief is that research can, and should, contribute to solutions to homelessness. Launched in 2007, the Hub was created to address the need for a single place to find pan-Canadian homelessness information.��A decade later, it has become an indispensable resource where service providers, researchers, government representatives, students and members of the public can access and share research, stories and best practices.

Homeless youth are 193 times more likely than members of the public to have been involved with the child welfare system

Report provides new window on vulnerability

In addition to the facts around transition from care, Child Welfare and Youth Homelessness in Canada brought to light some troubling realities about the vulnerabilities of homeless youth, such as:

Fifty-seven per cent of homelessness youth was involved with child protection services. (Homeless youth are 193 times more likely than members of the public to have been involved with the child welfare system.)
Sixty-three per cent of homeless youth experienced childhood trauma, abuse and/or neglect.
Indigenous youth make up seven per cent of all young Canadians, yet they constitute 50 per cent of those involved in child protection services.
Youth facing disadvantages of poverty, racism and homophobia are more likely to experience both child welfare involvement and homelessness. (LGBTQ2S+, transgender and gender non-binary youth are more likely than their cisgender and straight counterparts to have had child welfare involvement.)

Report highlights four key areas of concern

Systemic failures drive both youth homelessness and child welfare involvement, according to the report, which explores four areas of concern:

Housing instability including being removed from the family home at a young age and living in foster care.
The link between homelessness and difficult transitions from child welfare services (e.g., aging out of care). Such transitions are also correlated with poverty, lack of educational achievement, comparatively high rates of unemployment and involvement in corrections.
Youth with early experiences of homelessness, especially before the age of 16. These youths are more likely to be involved with child protection services, which suggests that preventing homelessness among this group should be a policy priority.
Inequity and marginalization (e.g., racism, homophobia, transphobia). This contributes to the overrepresentation of children and families of particular races and ethnicities.

Policy recommendations for governments at all levels

The report makes recommendations to the federal, provincial and territorial government as well as to Child Protection Services and Workers. “These entities must consider the policies, programs, interventions and investments in this brief that can contribute to more successful transitions from care for young people,” says Gaetz.

Aging out of care is linked to homelessness, and correlated with poverty, lack of educational achievement, comparatively high rates of unemployment and involvement in corrections

Recommendations at the federal level include revisiting its homelessness strategy to ensure that prevention is a top priority. Provincial-level recommendations include implementing an After Care guarantee so young people have support until they reach 25 years of age; and a focused strategy to support Indigenous, LGBTQ2S+, gender non-binary and racialized youth.

Recommendations in Child Protection Services include:

Ensuring that all young people who transition from care are provided with housing options and necessary supports to enable them to fully transition to adulthood in a safe and planned way.
Aiding young people in accessing mental health and addictions supports, and implementing resilience-building policy and practice for young people in care, knowing that this leads to successful transitions from care.
Facilitating a way for young people in care to provide feedback, and employing an assessment tool to assist in determining homelessness/flight risk.
Providing additional training for case workers to meet the needs of adolescents and young adults in care; and ensuring that case workers have appropriate caseloads.

This proactive investment in youth would pay off, according to Gaetz. “For every $1 spent on establishing best practices and early intervention, there is a $5.60 return on investment,” he explains.

To learn more about the report, visit the and/or its coverage in the . For more information on the Homeless Hub/COH, which is supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), visit the . To read about Gaetz’s appointment to the Order of Canada, see the . For more information on Gaetz, visit his .

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at , watch the and see the .

By Megan Mueller, manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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Knowledge Mobilization at 91��ɫ goes global

muellerm — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 10:00:00 +0000

Exec Director describes the Knowledge Mobilization Unit’s evolution. The sky’s the limit for this powerhouse as it engages with others around the world interested in impact.

91��ɫ’s growing international reputation now includes our efforts around maximizing impact

Knowledge mobilization (KMb) bridges the all-important gap from new knowledge, borne of research, to real-world application, and informs policy by demonstrating a measurable impact on society. At 91��ɫ, the KMb Unit, part of Innovation 91��ɫ in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, champions this work.

David Phipps

Since 2006, this department’s success under David Phipps, executive director, Research & Innovation Services, has been noted internationally. Building on this achievement, the KMb Unit is expanding its horizons. Phipps sits down with Brainstorm to discuss going global.

Q: Why is KMb important? Why now?

A: KMb formally started in Canadian health research in 2000 when the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) was launched to create new knowledge and to translate that knowledge into improved health for Canadians. Then around 2005/2006, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) created a new program where every grant application had to have a KMb strategy and an outcome statement geared towards impact.

More recently, “Investing in Canada’s Future: Strengthening the Foundations of Canadian Research” crystallized the conversation around impact. David Naylor chaired the committee and the sponsor of the report was Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED). So, we’re seeing that impact is now a regular feature of most of our granting and research programs.

In Canada, 91��ɫ leads a network called Research Impact Canada, which involves 14 Canadian universities plus one university in the United Kingdom (UK). We help to accelerate that process from research to impact. At 91��ɫ, impact and KMb are featured in our University Academic Plan, our Strategic Research Plan and the Plan for the Enhancement and Intensification of Research. This is part of our DNA at 91��ɫ.

Research Impact Canada has grown to 14 Canadian universities plus one university in the UK

Q: Describe the genesis of the KMb Unit at 91��ɫ.

A: Three things came together to create the KMb Unit. One was 91��ɫ’s program mix of 60 or 70 graduate programs across all disciplines. We have a strong social justice and liberal arts tradition, and an engineering school. This means that our research has the potential to make an impact on commerce, public policy and professional practice.

The second piece was my background in technology transfer and university-industry partnerships to create impact from STEM disciplines: science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“Knowledge Mobilization is part of our DNA at 91��ɫ.”��– David Phipps

The third element was leadership. The KMb Unit, created by our first Vice-President Research, Stan Shapson, is now led by our current Vice-President Research & Innovation, Robert Haché. He has encouraged the growth of KMb within Innovation 91��ɫ and Research Impact Canada.

Today, the Unit is managed by Michael Johnny, an expert in KMb, and overseen by the Director of Innovation 91��ɫ, Sarah Howe. Krista Jensen, Knowledge Mobilization Officer, brings 10 years of experience to this role and rounds out the service capacity of our team.

From left: Michael Johnny, Krista Jensen and Sarah Howe

Q: How is KMb at 91��ɫ expanding globally?

A: We’ve done a lot of work in UK universities and the Association of Research Managers and Administrators in the UK. We’ve also got a signed memorandum of understanding with the National Alliance for Broader Impacts in the States. We’re working to determine how we can each grow our capacities.

Other regions, like Australia and the Netherlands, also have research impact assessment systems, so we’ve got conversations underway with the organizations in those countries. Again, it’s about learning from each other.

Most interestingly, I’ve started an email exchange with a state-sponsored organization in Iran that works with universities. They are interested in supporting impact in social sciences and humanities.

Q: How will the Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program and 91��ɫ International be involved?

A: VISTA is a very large project that’s undertaking world-leading research in vision. Our KMb Unit is working with VISTA to translate research results for public use and explore the impact of those research results to ensure that research results move into clinical practice, public policy and products to benefit consumers.

We’re also working with 91��ɫ International. As well as responding to requests for engagement, we’ll be going out and identifying where those pockets of expertise exist, internationally. We will engage to bring that expertise back here to inform our own practice.

Q: How will Research Impact Canada be involved?

A: Research Impact Canada has identified international engagement as a strategic priority for the next three years of our planning process (2017 – 2020). It has recently welcomed the University of Brighton as our first international affiliate member. We’re excited because Brighton is an international leader in community-university engagement; we’re pleased to be able to bring that expertise into the network.

Additional international work by Research Impact Canada includes my presenting at the New Zealand Rehabilitation Association Conference, with a theme of impact. I’ve been invited to be part of the Expert Advisory Group advising the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the ��Ministry of Health to help implement their Health Research Strategy.

All this to say that impact is emerging as a global cohesive theme among research organizations. We see this playing out both at the researcher level and the institutional level. I think in the future, we’re going to see sustained conversations at many levels of our universities, at the executive level, the Presidents and the Vice-Presidents Research; the administrative level, for research administrators; and where it really makes a difference: for our students and our professors.

91��ɫ’s growing international reputation now includes our efforts around maximizing impact

Q: What does this activity say about the international reputation for 91��ɫ?

A: 91��ɫ has an outstanding international reputation. We have hundreds of thousands of alumni around the world. We’ve got hundreds of agreements in place with other universities in every continent. And 91��ɫ’s leadership in Research Impact Canada is just one more feather in the cap of our international reputation.

“We care about world-leading research. We’re also interested in making a difference to our local and global economies, environments and societies.”��– David Phipps

91��ɫ’s growing international reputation now includes our efforts around maximizing impact. We care about undertaking good, world-leading fundamental research, but we’re also interested in making a difference to our local and global economies, environments and societies.

Our investments in leadership in Research Impact Canada complements 91��ɫ’s existing international profile but also creates a new element around the international recognition for our leadership in creating impact.

To learn more about Research & Innovation at 91��ɫ, follow us at , watch the and see the .

By Megan Mueller, manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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communityBUILD’s Blueprint event successful, well attended

muellerm — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 10:00:00 +0000

communityBUILD is an ongoing collaboration between 91��ɫ, Seneca College, ventureLAB, United Way Toronto and 91��ɫ Region. This collaboration supports a community of mission-driven entrepreneurs focused on addressing major social issues, whether on a local or global scale. Its mission is to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by addressing important social issues in 91��ɫ Region and beyond.

In October 2016, communityBUILD hosted Blueprint for Affordable Housing at Seneca College, Markham, an annual two-day ‘design lab’ workshop utilizing human-centred design processes to address a social issue affecting 91��ɫ Region. The successful ventures are currently proceeding through a social incubator to help launch their ventures.

Robert Haché

“This annual event, Blueprint, is an excellent example of how communityBUILD finds ways to engage social entrepreneurs, including 91��ɫ students, who are focused on addressing major social issues, whether on a local or global scale,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation.

Participants at the event were presented with affordable housing challenges proposed by three champion organizations and asked to design sustainable solutions to address one of the challenges – this particular year’s challenge being: Explore the current shelter-to-income ratio to determine its applicability and relevance. Is there a more accurate or appropriate measure of affordability that can help guide public policy? The participants were supported by experts in community housing, open data and design thinking. Shelter to Housing Income ratio was only one of the three challenges and was championed by Ontario Ministry of Housing. The other two were Second Suites (championed by Regional Municipality of 91��ɫ) and NIBY-ism (championed by GTA Housing Action Lab).

This event was a very well attended. Forty-one 91��ɫ students were among the 116 attendees, which included event participants, estimated to be 80 in number; partners; and facilitators.

David Phipps

“This event had several unique features including one of a venture on policy innovation working with Ontario Ministry of Housing – effectively, policy innovation arising from a design jam,” says David Phipps, executive director, research & innovation services, Office of Research Services.

The communityBUILD partners were delighted to be joined by the 91��ɫ Region District School Board, says Phipps. Six YRDSB high school students were among the student entrepreneurs who participated in the Blueprint.

communityBUILD is a unique collaboration that supports a spectrum of young social entrepreneurs from high school to college to university seeking to make a difference to key social issues.

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Happy fifth! Innovation 91��ɫ marks a milestone birthday

muellerm — Fri, 06 Jan 2017 10:00:00 +0000

Innovation 91��ɫ turns five this year. To mark the birthday, Sarah Howe, director of 91��ɫ’s innovation office, reflects on the advances made during its formative years.

Innovation 91��ɫ celebrates its fifth birthday this year

Q. Happy fifth birthday to Innovation 91��ɫ. You were there at the start. Tell us about a pivotal moment at the very beginning.

Sarah Howe, director of Innovation 91��ɫ

A. When I first began working at 91��ɫ, in my role as associate director, Intellectual Property & Research Agreements, I recognized that there were service gaps at the University relating to innovation – industry liaison, commercialization and entrepreneurship. And what services there were, weren’t easy to access.

The turning point for Innovation 91��ɫ, when it effectively transformed into the innovation office, was when Dr. Robert Haché came on board as vice-president research and innovation. He gave me the impetus and support that I needed to create the vision for Innovation 91��ɫ. I began to work with him to build something new.

Q. What would you say was the biggest challenge that Innovation 91��ɫ has faced in five years?

A. Resources are always a challenge. In a time when no university is flush with cash, it’s difficult to build a new unit. However, I’ve been able to leverage external funding opportunities and make some key business decisions that have allowed me to increase resources.

I must say, the key is patience. I’ve worked very hard to slowly grow the unit.

The focus on providing high-quality services has led to success stories that, through word of mouth and marketing, go a long way to promoting Innovation 91��ɫ. And with success, we’ve been able to grow the team. It’s like a snowball, gathering momentum and building on its own success.

Q. In what ways has the innovation environment changed since 2012? ��

A. The environment has changed significantly since 2012. Where the emphasis used to be on commercialization, it’s grown to include entrepreneurship and industry partnerships. Today, almost every university and college campus has entrepreneurship programs. It’s imperative that Innovation 91��ɫ maintain a very strong entrepreneurship program in order for 91��ɫ to remain competitive.

“The turning point was when Dr. Robert Haché came on board as vice-president research and innovation. He gave me the impetus and support that I needed to create the vision for Innovation 91��ɫ.” – Sarah Howe

A second major change in the environment is that funders are increasingly asking the University to partner with industry. Our industry liaison unit has been extremely active in supporting the development of academic research partnerships at 91��ɫ with all sizes of companies.

A great example is the Advanced Disaster, Emergency & Rapid-Response Simulation project – a $3 million research project under the Ontario Research Fund. Innovation 91��ɫ played a key role in developing the industry partnerships for this project, with IBM and 15 others.

“I feel great pride that I’ve played a key role in building something that has become part of the fabric of 91��ɫ. It’s my passion for Innovation 91��ɫ that drives me to work hard, to dream big and to keep pushing.” – Sarah Howe

Q. What is one success that stands out for you personally?

A. The creation of LaunchYU, the University’s entrepreneurship program. This has driven much of the entrepreneurship culture at 91��ɫ and has worked with more than 1,000 entrepreneurs.

In creating LaunchYU, I had the chance to lead colleagues from the Faculty of Health, the Lassonde School of Engineering and the Faculty of Science in developing a program and obtaining more than half a million dollars to support that program over two years.

To see that program come to life and become one of the most successful programs funded by the Ontario Centres of Excellence is incredibly rewarding.

Q. How has your role at Innovation 91��ɫ changed over time?

A. My role has certainly become more strategic. Here, I am referring to issues like the branding, strategic marketing, sustainability, industrial and international partnerships.

An overall strategy that integrates services between units is essential in providing high-quality services. The office is striving to integrate these services so that faculty members who approach Innovation 91��ɫ for assistance with an agreement are also introduced to supports to create effective industry and community partnerships or commercialize their intellectual property.

I’ve also been able to shift from providing services to managing the team.

Sarah Howe addresses the LaunchYU participants at a recent event hosted by Innovation 91��ɫ

Q. What does Innovation 91��ɫ mean to you personally?

A. I am personally invested in Innovation 91��ɫ. I feel great pride that I’ve played a key role in building something that has become part of the fabric of 91��ɫ.

It’s my passion for Innovation 91��ɫ that drives me to work hard, to dream big and to keep pushing. 91��ɫ is a great place to work and has so many exciting stories to tell – I love that Innovation 91��ɫ has a role to play in telling and supporting those stories.

Q. Tell us a never-before-heard story: What is the best thing anyone has ever said about Innovation 91��ɫ, and how did it make you feel?

A. One of the best emails I received came from an entrepreneur who graduated from the LaunchYU program where he received support to grow his company that has developed a technology that acts like a bed sheet and monitors a baby’s vital signs through a fabric sensor.

When asked by an independent party to comment on their experience with Innovation 91��ɫ, he said: “We would gladly speak about the amazing experience we had and have with Innovation 91��ɫ and LaunchYU, and the support we are receiving from the whole organization. It all started from first meeting Innovation 91��ɫ’s Industry Liaison Manager, Cheryl Giblon, [who] guided us the whole way in reaching our goal for an academic/industry collaboration.” He summed up his experience: “There are plenty of opportunities that have opened up and we are looking forward to building a long-term relationship!”

“Innovation 91��ɫ is like a snowball, gathering momentum and building on its own successes.” – Sarah Howe

This makes me very happy and so proud − not only of the work that each team member is undertaking, but of Innovation 91��ɫ as a whole. We have a great team. I am excited to see what the future holds.

To learn more, visit the Innovation 91��ɫ website:

By Megan Mueller, manager, research communications, Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, 91��ɫ, muellerm@yorku.ca

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91��ɫ leads pan-Canadian strategy roundtable on knowledge mobilization

muellerm — Fri, 01 Nov 2013 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ recently initiated a roundtable discussion on the development of a Pan-Canadian strategy to advance and support knowledge mobilization led by the ResearchImpact-RéseauImpactRecherche (RIR), Canada’s Knowledge Mobilization Network.�� The discussion was held at the University on Oct.24 and 25.

During the roundtable, members of the 91��ɫ-led RIR Network, which included vice-presidents and research directors of the 10 member Universities across Canada, participated in discussion to support Pan-Canadian knowledge mobilization initiatives and campus-community collaborations that can maximize the economic, social and environmental impacts of research and scholarship.

“91��ɫ was pleased to host this roundtable discussion for the ResearchImpact-RéseauImpactRecherche (RIR) network,” said Robert Haché, 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation.�� “The key outcomes of the discussion were a renewed commitment to RIR as Canada's Knowledge Mobilization network and support for the development of a Pan-Canadian strategy to advance Knowledge Mobilization initiatives and best practices across the country, as the RIR Network continues to grow its membership.”

The roundtable highlighted the history of the ResearchImpact network, a discussion of the models of knowledge mobilization and successes at RIR universities, a prioritization of the goals for the RIR network, a discussion of the rationale for a Pan-Canadian strategy to support knowledge mobilization and more.

Founded in 2006 by 91��ɫ and the University of Victoria, RIR is committed to developing institutional capacities to support knowledge mobilization by developing and sharing knowledge mobilization best practices, services and tools. In 2010-2011 RIR expanded to include Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, Université du Québec à Montréal, University of Guelph and University of Saskatchewan.�� In 2013, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Wilfird Laurier University, Carleton University and l’Université du Montreal also joined.

For more information about the ResearchImpact-RéseauImpactRecherche network, visit the website, or or e-mail info@researchimpact.ca.

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91��ɫ hosts a new knowledge translation group

muellerm — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 08:00:00 +0000

91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)��Unit��has joined forces with NeuroDevNet, a Network of Centres of Excellence (NCE), to provide knowledge translation (KT) leadership and services within the University of British Columbia-based network.

��“91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit is continuing to make an impact by supporting transformative research through knowledge translation,” said Robert Haché (left), 91��ɫ’s vice-president research & innovation. “We are proud of the important work 91��ɫ’s leading KMb Unit is providing to NeuroDevNet, and warmly welcome the new members of the knowledge translation team.”

“For seven years, 91��ɫ's Knowledge Mobilization Unit has been providing professional knowledge mobilization services to 91��ɫ's researchers, students and their partners to maximize the economic, social and environmental impacts of research," said David Phipps (right), executive director, research & information services at 91��ɫ. "I am delighted to be the knowledge translation lead for NeuroDevNet and provide services to accelerate the impact of their research and training programs on the lives of children and families living with neurodevelopmental disorders."��

Anneliese Poetz, NeuroDevNet��knowledge translation manager, and Matt Calverley,��knowledge translation coordinator, are being hosted in 91��ɫ's KMb Unit, in suite 201, Kaneff Tower, as of this month.

“This is an exciting development for NeuroDevNet,” says Dan Goldowitz, the organization's scientific director. “With NeuroDevNet moving strongly towards a translational phase, we are going to have many great stories to tell and then move toward important outcomes. The expertise present at 91��ɫ’s Knowledge Mobilization Unit and our new KT lead, David Phipps, is hugely welcome and the network members are enthusiastically looking towards engagement with his team.”

NeuroDevNet is in its fourth year as an NCE, and has drawn together world-class researchers and clinicians across the country with expertise in three initial areas of focus, in autism spectrum disorder, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy.��Translation of research into practice and commercial ventures, as well as engagement with policy makers, are key elements of the NCE mission.��Knowledge translation is a central pillar of the NeuroDevNet initiative, funded for an initial period of five years by the NCE and Industry Canada through the Tri-Councils.

One in six Canadian children is affected by a brain-based developmental disorder. “NeuroDevNet exists to help these children and their families overcome the challenges that stem from neurodevelopmental conditions,” adds Goldowitz. “NeuroDevNet’s research is making important strides towards that objective. I am confident our new KT team will help ensure our findings reach stakeholders who share our commitment and can put that knowledge into action.”

For more information, visit the website.

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