Discovery Exchange Background

Optimizing Research and Innovation Impact

Part of the UCalgary Discovery Exchange Series

An international masterclass hosted in the Canadian Rockies with leading UCalgary researchers and international experts

May 13 - 15, 2025 at the Banff Centre, Alberta

Registration is now open - secure your spot today!

Optimizing Research and Innovation Impact

Are you or your organization being asked (or asking others) to demonstrate, communicate and ultimately optimize the impact of your research and innovation activities? If yes, this is the masterclass for you. There is a demand globally to be accountable for the impact of public investments as well as increasing expectations to optimize the economic and societal impact of research and innovation investments. However, there is a skills gap in developing impact professionals of tomorrow that can meet these expectations. Our goal is to bring the community closer together by establishing common language and tools for realizing impact. Hosted by the University of Calgary in partnership with numerous esteemed networks and organizations, the course presents the latest evidence and practices at the intersection of impact science with knowledge mobilization and implementation. This hands-on interactive course is delivered in-person over three days to increase your knowledge of cutting edge practices, provides practical applications and exercises that can be applied to your work to benefit you and your organization. 

Course Objectives:

  • Empower participants with the knowledge and skills to plan, implement, and evaluate strategies for realizing the economic and societal impact of research and innovation
  • Advance knowledge about existing and leading standards, practices, frameworks, tools and the communication of impact and its assessment
  • Foster a positive impact culture by building collaborative capacity, networks and team building among researchers, innovation decision-makers and practitioners across a variety of sectors (e.g. health, environment, agriculture) in research and innovation

Key details

Led by expert hosts from UCalgary and abroad

This program has been created for experts, by experts, including UCalgary researchers and world-class colleagues from industry, academia and government.

Course Director: Dr. Kathryn Graham
Professor, Research Impact Assessment
Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
University of Calgary   

Program Director: Dr. Adrienne Levay
Impact Postdoctoral scholar
Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine
University of Calgary  

Dr. Jenny Godley
Associate Dean, Transdisciplinary Scholarship; Professor, Sociology, Faculty of Arts 
University of Calgary

  • Dr. Gert Balling
    Senior Impact Partner, Novo Nordisk Foundation
    Denmark
     
  • Dr. Anne-Maree Dowd
    Executive Manager, Performance and Evaluation, CSIRO
    Brisbane, Australia
     
  • Dr. Vincent Larivière
    Professor, Université de Montréal
    Montréal, Canada
     
  • Alan C. O’Connor
    Senior Economist and Senior Vice President | Environment, RTI International
    North Carolina, USA
     
  • Dr. Pavel Ovseiko
    Senior Research Fellow, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford
    UK
     
  • Dr. David Phipps
    Assistant Vice-President, Research Strategy & Impact, York University
    Ontario, Canada
     
  • Alexandra Pollitt
    Director of Research, Policy Institute, King's College London
    UK
     

Who should attend

  • Academia: Researchers, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, impact fellows
  • Policy & decision-makers: Government, funders, program managers
  • Not-for-profits: Charities, foundations
  • Practitioners & Specialists: Knowledge mobilization, implementation scientists, evaluators, quality improvement specialists
  • Impact accelerators: Service delivery leads, entrepreneurs

Experience

This course is designed for those who starting out on their impact journey and want to develop an initial integrated plan that includes pathways to impact, or seasoned impact specialists who want to share lessons learned on barriers and facilitators to realizing real world impact. 

Outcomes

  • Recognize the value of co-designing, planning for and assessing impact early in the life of an initiative
  • Understand success factors, assess and select measures along the pathways to impact 
  • Learn the tools for mobilizing, implementing and scaling impact plans 
  • Practice creating compelling impact narratives for communicating impact and inform action  
  • Learn to optimize impact through management, continuous assessment and learning  

Benefits to you and your organization

  • You will develop an initial integrated impact plan for your research or organization
  • A complete course impact playbook on how to optimize impact that includes course content, templates, samples, a glossary, recommend readings and resources
  • A copy of the new Cornerstone of Impact Management book, co-authored by the presenting experts
  • Receive a certificate of completion in optimizing impact 
  • Have an opportunity to collaborate and connect with a flourishing community of practice through membership in an international impact network
Banff Centre

International masterclass attendees will spend 3 days in beautiful Banff, Alberta.

Registration Fee Details


Fees

$2500 CAD + GST , includes: 

  • 3 day masterclass training course hosted by leading UCalgary researchers and international experts
  • 3 nights accommodations and meals at the Banff Centre
  • Informal social events

Please note dates of accommodation at the Banff Centre are May 12 to 15, 2025

Fee breakdown

  • 3 day training curriculum, delivery and playbook: $1,250
  • Meals, three nights accommodation and support: $1,250

Please note the fee does not include transportation costs and is the responsibility of attendees to arrange their own transportation.

Masterclass Schedule


Program

Schedule coming soon - stay tuned for details!

Contact

The UCalgary Discovery Exchange Series is managed by the Office of the Vice-President Research.

  • Contact us at research@ucalgary.ca 
  • Subscribe below to receive updates about the International Masterclass and future programs.

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About the Discovery Exchange Series

The UCalgary Discovery Exchange Series offers unique, research-focused experiential opportunities for members of the national and international research community to exchange and create new knowledge together.  

Co-hosted by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and UCalgary’s leading experts, the Discovery Exchange Series is designed to enable transdisciplinary collaboration and co-creation in pursuit of positive change. 

Subscribe to receive updates about current and future Discovery Exchange programs.