Stories about research impact: Has your research made a difference?

Table of Contents

Summary

The Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA), and the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN) are pleased to announce a call for submissions celebrating the impact of health research in arthritis, skin, oral health, MSK rehab, bone and skeletal muscle.

We are seeking original submissions of stories which highlight excellence in research through scientific discovery, partnerships and networking,  commercialization (including new patents, methods, guidelines or techniques) or knowledge translation from any of IMHA's six foci and across all four CIHR research themes (biomedical; clinical; health systems services; and, social, cultural, environmental and population health). The stories should show the immediate or future health impacts of the research. Research and knowledge translation activity conducted by small or large teams which has demonstrable immediate or future benefit is applicable. Impact stories from the biomedical domain, clinical research as well as health services and population health are encouraged.

Knowledge translation is of critical importance to health research, as it has become clear that the creation of new knowledge often does not, on its own, lead to widespread implementation or impacts on health. From CIHR's perspective, accountability from the federal and provincial governments, as well as the public, makes it increasingly important to demonstrate the benefits of the investment of taxpayer dollars in health research by moving research into policy, programs and practice. This compilation of stories will allow researchers working in Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis to share their stories with practionners, government and the public.

This publication is a Canadian first in the area of musculoskeletal health. It will be disseminated to policy makers, the health care community and the public as a means of conveying the importance and impact of the musculoskeletal health research and knowledge translation being done in Canada.

The project aim is to commemorate the first 10 years of IMHA as well as CAN's legacy of 14 years of arthritis research in Canada as a Network Centre of Excellence. As such we will select the top 4-5 submissions in arthritis and the top submission from each of skin, oral health, MSK rehab, bone and skeletal muscle. Each impact story will be reviewed using a common approach by a committee determined by IMHA and CAN.

Timeline:

Launch of call September 6, 2012
Intent to submit October 19, 2012 (deadline extended)
Full impact stories due November 5, 2012
Review and request for revisions Winter 2012/2013
Final impact stories due Winter 2013
Publication Spring 2013
Promotion Spring 2013 - Winter 2013

Project Scope and Objectives

The publication will consist of 10-12 stories (in English and French) that will highlight excellent examples of research in areas related to arthritis, skin, oral health, MSK rehab, bone and skeletal muscle, spanning any of the four CIHR research pillars (biomedical; clinical; health systems services; social, cultural, environmental and population health). Stories will demonstrate impact and be focused on scientific discovery, partnerships and networking, innovation and commercialization, consumer (public) involvement, and knowledge translation, within one or more of the six areas listed above. The scope of the stories will span research, policy, and practice.  The publication will be made available in electronic and other formats, in both English and French.

Specific objectives of this publication are to:

  1. Increase awareness and understanding of the value of research in these areas;
  2. Highlight the effectiveness of different research methodologies in achieving impacts;
  3. Demonstrate the scope and impact of research in this area by facilitating knowledge translation;
  4. Document and celebrate the legacy of CAN as it comes to the end of its 14 years of arthritis research funding as a Network Centre of Excellence;
  5. Document and celebrate the 10 years that IMHA has been funding researchers in arthritis, skin, oral health, MSK rehab, bone and skeletal muscle.

Partners

This publication involves the CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis (IMHA) and the Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN).

IMHA supports research to enhance active living, mobility and movement, and oral health; and addresses causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions related to bones, joints, muscles, connective tissue, skin and teeth. IMHA is celebrating 10 years of supporting research by recognizing some of the excellent research that it has contributed funding to.

The Canadian Arthritis Network (CAN) is a not-for-profit organization that supports integrated, trans-disciplinary research and development. CAN is the single point of contact that links over 200 leading Canadian arthritis researchers and clinicians, 45 Canadian academic institutions. Over the past 14 years, CAN has partnered with a variety of CIHR institutes including the Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis, The Arthritis Society, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies, and provincial and federal governments.

CAN funds research and acts as a facilitator, bringing scientific discoveries to market by providing access to cutting-edge techniques for product development and evaluation. It offers pre-clinical and clinical research services, and facilitates technology transfer and the commercialization of new discoveries. CAN is a member of the federal Networks of Centres of Excellence, Canada's flagship science and technology program. The publication is part of CAN's legacy plan commemorating successes in arthritis research that have been made possible through CAN and its partners.

Audience

This publication will be read and can be used by front-line workers, managers, planners and decision-makers who work in various health related fields in community-based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and all levels of government. It will also prove to be useful for students and researchers who are interested in research initiatives that have been successful in the past.

Eligibility and Story Structure

  • Submissions must be related to arthritis, skin, oral health, MSK rehab, bone or skeletal muscle.
  • At least one member of the authorship team must be affiliated with a Canadian academic institution.
  • Submissions may be from individuals, teams, or organizations that represent a range of disciplines and/or sectors and may include decision-makers, researchers, frontline workers, community organizations, and/or citizens involved in research.
  • Story details should be free of identifying information that could be private, sensitive or disputable by others involved. This can include, but not be limited to removing or anonymizing the names of individuals, communities, schools, or organizations.
  • Previously published stories or stories currently under review for publication are not eligible.
  • Stories may be submitted in either English or French.
  • Stories should be written in a narrative style following the headlines in the structured template below.
  • Plain language should be used.  Authors are encouraged to follow the plain language style in the CIHR Knowledge to Action: A Knowledge Translation Casebook. An example related to arthritis is on page 5.

Further, submissions (between 850 – 1,000 words) should be written according to this template:

  • Introduction (up to ~200 words)
    • Brief introduction to orient the reader to the situation and describe the gap or problem and why it mattered. 
  • Story (up to ~500 words)
    • Clear articulation of the research project including its objectives.
    • How has the research made a positive impact on the health of the population?
  • Outcomes (up to ~150 words)
    • What are the next steps, or if it is an older project what were the next steps? Did this research pave the way forward?

Submissions should also include a separate cover page that contains the following information (not included in the word count):

  • Title
  • Author(s) name(s) and affiliation(s)
  • Contact information for primary author
  • Acknowledgements
  • Names of individuals, communities/cities/regions and organizations involved

Submission

Those planning to submit an impact story should provide the title and a short abstract of 100 words to Emily Neff by October 5, 2012. Full stories should be submitted electronically as a Word document to emily.neff@utoronto.ca by November 5, 2012.

Merit Review

Impact stories will be subject to merit review by the project's Advisory Committee, which will make their recommendations to IMHA and CAN Scientific Directors. The stories will be reviewed according to the following criteria:

  1. Relevance to objectives and intended audience(s) of the publication.
  2. Degree of innovation and novelty in the research questions asked and methodologies used.
  3. Degree of engagement (or thought) involved in the development of the project.
  4. Degree of impact or change achieved.
  5. Clarity and effectiveness of impact story presentation for the intended audiences.

Following review, impact stories will be accepted (with potential for minor modifications), invited to revise and re-submit, or rejected. In the final selection, stories will endeavour to represent the verious policy, practice, and research sectors and research sectors from across Canada.

Selection and Production

Each selected story will be analyzed according to a common framework for analysis by a reviewer not affiliated with the submission authorship team. Authors of selected stories will be given an opportunity to respond to feedback. In addition, stories may be professionally edited.

Original contributors will retain authorship and will be appropriately cited in the publication. IMHA and CAN retain full rights to copy, distribute and make stories available in print, electronic, and other formats; and to use them at any time in any of its publications.

The final product will include a hard copy publication and an online version to support ongoing knowledge translation and to encourage ongoing discussion of the impact stories.

Promotion

The publication will be actively promoted and disseminated through IMHA, CAN, and partner organizations. Promotional strategies could include: posted on websites, promoted through listserves, organization and network of contacts, promoted at conferences; news release sent to the media; articles written for newsletters and journals.