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IPPH Knowledge Translation

KT at CIHR

CIHR defines knowledge translation as "a dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve the health of Canadians, provide more effective health services and products and strengthen the health care system."

Knowledge translation (KT) is aimed at engaging stakeholder communities in the funding and translation of research for effective and innovative changes in health policy, practice or products.

Why is KT important to CIHR? First, the creation of new knowledge often does not on its own lead to widespread implementation or impacts on health. Secondly, with the increased focus on research governance and accountability from the federal and provincial governments, as well as from the public, these parties would like to see the benefits of taxpayer dollars that are invested in health research by moving research into policy, programs and practice.

In June 2004, CIHR developed a strategic plan, called "Innovation in Action", building on the objectives of CIHR's Blueprint for Health and Innovation, and informed by a number of internal/external consultations.  The Strategic Plan outlines the rationale, strategic directions and operational dimensions for responding to CIHR's KT mandate for 2004-2009. 

For more information on CIHR's knowledge translation priorities and activities please visit the CIHR website.

KT at IPPH

The field of population and public health has a strong history in knowledge translation (also referred to as "dissemination" or "diffusion of innovations" in the health promotion literature).  To this end, IPPH is working together with the Knowledge, Synthesis and Exchange (KSE) Branch at CIHR, partnering with a multitude of partners and involving potential users of research at the earlier stages of research project development, to integrate knowledge translation into its strategic areas of activity, with a focus on:

  • Research on the factors contributing to effective knowledge transfer by policy makers and practitioners.
  • Effective ways of communicating PPH knowledge to key stakeholder groups and the public, including effective and innovative use of various media and accessible language for different audiences.
  • Greater investment in knowledge synthesis, diffusion and transfer initiatives such as the development of high quality syntheses and meta-analyses on public health interventions.

KT Funding

IPPH has funded and partnered on a number of programs dedicated to or integrating KT activities.  Examples include supporting Scoping and Research Synthesis activities through CIHR-led Requests for Applications (RFA's) as well as the Partnerships for Health System Improvement funding program.

IPPH also supports the Meetings, Planning and Dissemination Grants program in population and public health as well as global health.  The purpose of the program is to support knowledge exchange activities (e.g. workshops, environmental scans, researcher exchanges to facilitate joint research project development with/between IPPH-funded teams/centres/training initiatives) to facilitate collaboration among individuals from a variety of disciplines, backgrounds and roles (e.g. researchers and research users such as program managers, policy-makers and practitioners).

In 2002, IPPH launched an inaugural funding program to support Centres for Research Development. These Centres, jointly governed by research-users and researchers, focus on understanding and addressing the impacts that physical and social environments have on health. This novel arrangement is designed to maximize the transfer of research results into practical applications and the development of new policies and programs that will lead to population-health benefits. Through the active engagement of policy makers and community leaders, these Centres, the first of their kind in Canada, aim to build research capacity to better understand and address the impacts of programs and policies that help to improve the quality of physical and social environments.

A more recent example of IPPH's commitment to knowledge translation is the Applied Public Health Chairs program. A total of 15 Chairs have been funded and it is expected that this investment will lead to increased national capacity for effective research, mentoring, education, knowledge translation and application of research evidence of relevance to the public health system.

Population Health Ethics

Annotated Bibliography [ HTML | PDF (260 KB) | Help ]

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to begin a dialogue regarding population health ethics by providing a compendium of relevant works. It is a living document that will continue to be modified as the field of population health ethics evolves. This document is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all articles related to the topic. Rather, it aims to summarize key foundational writings and to provide a sense of the scope, issues, and debates in the field.

Spreading the Word

In 2006, IPPH, in partnership with the Canadian Population Health Initiative, produced a KT casebook focusing on population and public health research. This casebook, Moving population and public health knowledge into action: A casebook of knowledge translation stories, is designed to encourage and recognize KT activity, and to help researchers, policy makers and community members learn from the experiences of others. As part of the Global Health Research Initiative, IPPH has also supported the first Global Health Research casebook.

IPPH also supports the Canadian Journal of Public Health (CJPH) by encouraging researchers to submit articles for publication, coordinating special supplements and inserts that align with IPPH strategic priorities and contributing content directly.

In June 2007, IPPH hosted a Café Scientifique in Halifax Nova Scotia, called "Are Cities a Health Hazard?"  The purpose of the Café Scientifque is to provide insight into health-related issues of popular interest to the general public, and in turn provoke questions and provide answers.  For more information on this initiative, please visit the CIHR website.

National Collaborating Centres for Public Health

IPPH has actively contributed to the establishment of the National Collaborating Centres for Public Health (NCCs), a PHAC-led initiative designed to make research on public health more relevant and understandable for individuals and organizations that could use this information in their day-to-day practices and in policy making. (Read more in an article about the NCCs authored by IPPH staff.)

The six NCCs are:

Modified: 2009-12-10

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