Applications open: 2022 Convening & Collaborating (C2) and Reach competitions

Competitions for the Michael Smith Health Research BC 2022 Convening & Collaborating (C²) and Reach Programs open today. These awards fund research teams whose activities support knowledge translation (KT) activities.

Known by many names (e.g. knowledge mobilization, research to action, knowledge exchange) in health research, KT is ultimately about using health research to improve health. Health Research BC is committed to enabling and supporting KT activities because this work provides BC health researchers the tools they need to increase the impact of their research. KT activities aim to close the gap between research and implementation by improving the use of research evidence in practice, policy and further research.

Research knowledge is most likely to be applied when it is informed by those who will use it, whether that be community members, care providers, policy-makers, or other researchers. These team-funded programs support this fostering of collaboration and help ensure research has the maximum impact on health and the health system.

The award amount available for both competitions is up to $15,000 and the term of the awards is 18 months.

Awardees are using their grants to address a wide range of health challenges including equitable access to women’s health, overdose among formerly incarcerated people, diabetes prevention for Indigenous communities, and destigmatizing HIV.

Convening & Collaborating (C²) awards

Health Research BC’s C² award enables knowledge exchange and meaningful collaboration by supporting researchers, trainees and research users* in co-developing research that can directly impact patients and a diverse range of stakeholders.

Co-developing research by engaging with stakeholders helps ensure the research is relevant, and can increase the likelihood of leveraging the award into additional funding from national and international sources.

Researchers who need support to develop a research agenda, identify key research practice priorities or evaluate a peer support initiative should consider applying to the C² Program.

For example, in 2019 Dr. Amanda Slaunwhite and her research team were recipients of a C² award with the focus of building a provincial public health agenda for addressing geographic contributors to overdose. One of the objectives of the projects is identifying priorities for action in addressing overdose deaths in sparsely populated places with an emphasis on scaling up existing networks, programs and services.

Apply for the C2 award.

Reach awards

The Health Research BC Reach award enables KT activities by supporting researchers and research users* in disseminating research evidence through co-developing events, activities and/or tools to “extend the reach” of their work. This helps teams “reach” audiences who can directly use the knowledge to ultimately improve health and care for British Columbians and their communities.

Researchers who need support to disseminate their research through projects like a social media initiative, patient forum or a learning curriculum should consider applying to the Reach Program.

For example, a Reach award enabled Dr. Janessa Laskin and Dr. Marco Marra with their team to create an animated video that explains cancer, genomics and precision medicine, with a focus on BC Cancer’s Personalized Oncogenomics (POG) program. The video aims to explain the program to audiences who can use the information to improve cancer care for individual patients as well as researchers helping to advance the field of precision medicine in oncology. Intended outcomes include improved health literacy for patients considering POG and improved understanding of POG supports and enhances patient care in BC.

Apply for the Reach award.

Both the C² and Reach awards also help build KT capacity, experience and skills for BC’s research and health professional trainees.

2022 C² and Reach competitions key dates

• Application deadline (applicant): May 16, 2022
• Application deadline (host institution): May 24, 2022
• Anticipated notice of funding decision: August/September 2022
• Anticipated start of funding: October 1, 2022

All competition details, eligibility requirements, and information on how to apply can be found on our website. Applicants are encouraged to attend the applicant information webinar on April 13.

We partner with various organizations to co-fund awards because partnerships enable us to fund more awardees while reducing the gap between research and its implementation to improve health care. Our partners provide valuable connections between researchers, partner stakeholders and patient groups in their field. If you are interested in receiving a partnered Health Research BC award, let us know when prompted in your funding application.

As BC’s health research agency, our funding awards help develop, retain and attract the people whose research improves the health of British Columbians, addresses health system priorities, creates jobs and adds to the knowledge economy. Over the past 20 years we have helped create a diverse, inclusive and competitive life sciences sector that generates significant economic benefit to the province and delivers improved health and health care for all British Columbians.

Learn more about knowledge translation at Health Research BC.

*Research users might include patients, community partners, caregivers, health practitioners, government policy makers, or health charities.