CSPC 2017

Panel Organizers: Sasha Wood, New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network and David Phipps, York University

How can we more effectively bring new and existing scientific knowledge to bear on Canada’s challenges?
Researchers are increasingly expected to plan for and report on economic, social and/or environmental impacts in research grant applications. Universities are complementing investments in technology commercialization with supports for knowledge mobilization that more broadly support researchers and their non- academic partners as they collaborate to develop inclusive impacts on professional practice, public policy and social services. Policy makers are exploring innovative methods of policy development. The focus of this panel will be on efforts universities are making to support collaborations with policy makers, and specifically, the role of knowledge brokers and knowledge brokering organizations to make policy impacts. These collaborations are critically important for impact because researchers don’t create policy impacts on their own. Research creates evidence but it is the policy makers that use the evidence as one input into the policy process.

The panel will feature different perspectives on policy research to policy impact processes at both the provincial and federal level. The primary case will be the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network (NBSPRN). The University of New Brunswick (UNB) hosts NBSPRN on behalf of all four New Brunswick universities and the Government of New Brunswick. Bill MacKenzie (Director of Strategic Partnership, NBSPRN) and Nick Scott (Executive Director of Innovation and Open Government, Government of New Brunswick) will present the case of NBSPRN reflecting on strengths and gaps from each side of the policy research collaboration.

Reflections on NBSPRN will be offered by Moura Quayle (Director, Liu Centre for Global Issues, University of British Columbia) who is working on a proposal for a School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC which will have a mandate for policy impact as well as scholarly excellence. Comments on the role of government and the academy in influencing public policy will be offered by Rodney Ghali (Assistant Secretary of the Innovation Hub at the Privy Council Office). Rodney Ghali leads the PCO Innovation Hub which is experimenting with policy innovation for the federal government including the various contributions academic research and expertise can make to federal policy development

The panel will be moderated by Robert Haché (VP Research & Innovation, York University), Chair of Research Impact Canada, Canada’s knowledge mobilization network representing 12 universities making investments to maximize the impacts of university research. Dr. Haché will lead the panel in discussing ways the academic institution can help researchers and policy partners collaborate to create policy impacts. The panel will explore issues related to planning for impact, barriers and enablers of successful collaboration, research impact assessment and inclusive innovation.

Respondents to the panel will include Cathy Malcolm Edwards, in her role at Carleton University has participating in Research Impact Canada, Canada’s knowledge mobilization network and Matthew McKean, Associate Director of Education at the Conference Board of Canada. Each will reflect briefly on the impact of the panel discussion and the implications to academic (Cathy Edwards) and policy (Matthew McKean) partners. Respondents will set the stage for moderated audience Q&A.