Western has launched a new program to support research collaborations between researchers and non-academic partners from diverse sectors including non-profit, government, industry and corporate.
The Research Engagement Collaborative Alliance with Partners (RECAP) program is a joint effort between Western Research and Western's Research Institutes.
"We need scholars who understand and embody partnership principles. RECAP provides knowledge, support and opportunities to connect. Researchers and partners do the work to build relationships that ideally transform into meaningful partnerships," said Mariam Hayward, Western Research's director (inclusive research excellence and impact), who co-leads and co-developed RECAP with Jann Paquette-Warren, director of Western Research Institutes.
Mariam Hayward, Western Research's director (inclusive research excellence and impact), co-leads and co-developed RECAP (Western Communications photo)
The program, which has already engaged more than 30 partners, is open to all researchers at Western, Canada and world-wide, as well as collaborators from a variety of sectors.
The initiative includes a learning platform with three modules. These modules address themes including greater impact and guiding principles of partnerships, the process of identifying partners and research, as well as forging collaborations in a systematic manner.
"We need to continue to find ways to authentically include and engage partners from various sectors if we're to have real impact on society," said Penny Pexman, vice-president (research).
"These relationships are a gift - they expose us to new perspectives and provide meaningful opportunities to innovate, solve problems, inform policy and connect the work we do to those who can benefit from it most."
Jann Paquette-Warren, director of Western Research Institutes, co-leads and co-developed RECAP (Western Communications photo)
Starting in spring 2024, RECAP will co-host engagement events with Western's Research Institutes to bring researchers and non-academic partners together to connect and begin to build relationships using the knowledge learned in the modules.
The initial phase is funded with $500,000 through Western's Strategic Priorities Fund, to help address community-based challenges, strengthen institutional collaborations, and create more welcoming and inclusive experiences within research - all key pillars of the university's strategic plan, Towards Western at 150.
The modules and events are aimed at enhancing researchers' and collaborators' ability to conduct research that is mutually beneficial, meets requirements of funding opportunities, creates space for all perspectives (academic, lived and diverse), and is driven by societal needs that will elevate uptake and impact, said members of the RECAP leadership team.
"Partners bring content expertise and critical perspectives about the relevance and priorities of research questions. They inform key aspects of research design, recruitment, and outcomes to be measured, provide unique resources or technical expertise, and ensure impact," said Alison Rushton, professor and director of the School of Physical Therapy in the Faculty of Health Sciences, and a member of the RECAP leadership team.
"Funding competitions also increasingly require meaningful inclusion of research partners with evidence of commitment and authentic engagement," she said.
Meaningful and authentic engagement
Accelerating research and better outcomes for patients is what motivates patient advocate Cathie Hofstetter to frequently participate in research collaborations. Over the last two decades, she has participated in several research projects and organizational advisory committees, taking on various roles and sharing her expertise and lived experience with arthritis.
"To me, the most important thing in a partnership is meaningful engagement. I want to know that I'm being asked to join a research team because they think I have something to offer," she said.
Meaningful and authentic engagement is also a key ingredient for astrophysicist Sarah Gallagher, a physics and astronomy professor at Western and director of Western's Institute for Earth and Space Exploration. Her considerable experience with partnerships both in basic and applied research has taught her that trust, respect and a collaborative attitude are crucial in any successful research collaboration.
Her latest project is with the City of London, measuring methane released by the city's landfills. The project, she said, reminds her why research collaborations are an important and rewarding part of her work, despite any challenges.
"Developing research partnerships is hard, but really important. It's a way for us to communicate with stakeholders and other potential partners and show the value of universities and the research we bring to the table," Gallagher said.
"There's also that element of knowledge translation, where we can take what's happening in the university and apply it in an impactful way. That's the goal, that we're providing something of value that allows our partners to do their job better," she said.
