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Knowledge Translation at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

About the Webcast

Knowledge translation (KT) is a broad concept developed by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) that encompasses all steps between the creation of new knowledge and its application to yield beneficial outcomes for society (CIHR, 2005). The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has identified KT as an important concept in enhancing the lives of individuals with disabilities, as evidence-based knowledge, technologies, and applications must be translated in order to inform disability and rehabilitation policy, and improve practice (NCDDR, 2005).

Our presenters, Ms. Liz Stirling and Ms. Jacqueline Tetroe, will discuss the current status of KT within the context of the history and focus of the CIHR Knowledge Translation Branch. Innovative strategies for knowledge translation are key to fostering changes in behavior, systems, and policy. Some examples include: working with health care givers to turn research into practice; making plain language overviews of research findings easily accessible; and providing incentives for the training of communicators with science backgrounds. The CIHR Act of June 7, 2000 created CIRH as the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada, through 13 virtual institutes made up of networks of researchers brought together to focus on important health problems (CIHR, 2004).