Webinar series supports community partnerships and knowledge mobilization

Have you ever wondered how to best partner with a community group, not-for-profit, or a municipality? How about the basics of knowledge mobilization? A series of free UCalgary webinars will introduce you to experts in these areas, and what supports you can access on campus.

Navigating Partnered Research is a digital series hosted by the Knowledge Engagement team in Research Services to provide support and guidance for faculty members interested in pursuing partnered research projects, particularly in the social sciences and humanities.

This multi-part series will cover a variety of topics and supports including identifying and exploring funding opportunities for partnered research initiatives, engaging with community, building partnerships for research, and mobilizing partnered research knowledge.

“This is our second time offering the series. We had tremendous interest last year and very positive feedback,” says Dr. Stephanie Warner, PhD, manager, knowledge engagement.

“We hope that attendees walk away with a deeper understanding of how to conduct partnered research in a good way, how to mobilize their knowledge effectively within and beyond the research community, and the services available on campus to support this work.”

The webinar series is free, and open to faculty, staff, students, and community partners. Attendees do not have to commit to the entire series and can register for the topics that interest them.

2022 sessions:

Partnering for Impact | Jan. 24, 1-2 p.m. |  Register

• Gain insight into the partnership process, including how and when to connect with community partners, supports (services and funding) available at the University of Calgary, and the value of building and maintaining meaningful partnerships for research. The session will also introduce the REAP Self-Assessment Model and an overview of the Knowledge Engagement Impact Assessment Toolkit.

Knowledge Mobilization Planning and Strategy | Feb. 16, 10-11 a.m. | Register

• Partnered research projects provide valuable (and often unique) opportunities for knowledge mobilization. This session will cover the basics of knowledge mobilization including setting goals, stakeholder identification and analysis, selecting appropriate activities, and evaluating success.

Finding Your Fit | Feb. 28, 2-3:30 p.m. | Registration coming soon

• Join Dr. Penny Pexman, associate vice-president (research) and the Research Services Office for an overview of SSHRC programs and funding opportunities. This session will cover internal and external funding opportunities for partnered research and how they fit into the different stages of a research program.

Partnering with Not-for-Profit Organizations | Registration coming soon

• Join the leaders of local non-profit organizations and community-engaged researchers as they share their perspectives on partnering for research, including fielding inquiries, what makes a good partnership, and how to avoid common pitfalls. Attendees will also hear about available partnership supports.

Partnering with Municipalities | Registration coming soon

• In this session, join the University of Calgary’s Urban Alliance Co-ordinator Dr. Barry Phipps, PhD, UCalgary Municipal Affairs Specialist Lisa Chong and other guests to learn how to partner with The City of Calgary to conduct research that benefits our communities. 

Partnering with Grassroots Community Groups | April 25, 1-2 p.m. | Registration coming soon

• Join University of Calgary researchers Dr. Turin Chowdhury, PhD, and Dr. Caley Shukalek, PhD, as they share insights from their experience of partnering with grassroots community groups. This session will cover considerations specific to this unique context, including making contacts, developing relationships, and using a community-based participatory research approach.

Research Ethics for Community-Engaged Projects | Registration coming soon

• Join the chair of the Conjoint Faculties Research Ethics Board Dr. Jenny Godley, PhD, and chair of the Conjoint Research Ethics Board Dr. Stacey Page, PhD, for an introduction to research ethics. This session will discuss the history and fundamental principles of ethical practices for research involving human participants and provide an overview of the ethics application, review and renewal processes at UCalgary. We will also cover key considerations related to community-partnered research including developing collaborative relationships and agreements with partners in advance of submitting an ethics application and obtaining ethics approval in multiple jurisdictions.

Papering Partnerships | Registration coming soon

• Co-presented by the Knowledge Engagement team and the Research Services Legal and IP team, this session will help you develop an understanding of the relationship maintenance practices for keeping your partnerships strong. This session will explore the variety of research collaboration scenarios available, the benefits/trade-offs of each and the agreements required.

Please visit the Knowledge Engagement website for more information and up-to-date session details.