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
This event has now sold out. If you would like to be added to the waitlist, please contact research@ucalgary.ca
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
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 V. 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
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
International masterclass attendees will spend 3 days in beautiful Banff, Alberta.
Schedule overview
*Version as of March 7th and may be subject to slight revisions prior to finalization
May 12, 2025
Day 0
No sessions scheduled
Group arrival and check-in at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
May 13, 2025
Day 1
- Registration and opening remarks
- Course Overview: Impact Journey
- Cornerstones of Optimizing Impact
- Co-design: Planning for Impact
- Consider Key Impact Pathways: Theory, Frameworks & Practices
May 14, 2025
Day 2
- Co- Production - Understanding Interested Parties Needs
- Impact Purpose(s): 4As to 7As
- Developing Interested Parties Questions
- Define Indicators of Success
- Implementing and Scaling Across Key Pathways
- Build Your Expertise Group Work
- Design & Mixed Methods
- Case Studies
- Bibliometrics
May 15, 2025
Day 3
- Economic Impact
- Relational Impact
- Informing Decision/Policy Makers in the Real World
- Communicating Impact to Decision Makers
- Develop Compelling Impact Narratives
- Impact Management Systems
- Futures Impact
- Artificial Intelligence
- Next Generation Impact Professionals
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: $1,000
- Meals, three nights accommodation and support: $1,500
Please note the fee does not include transportation costs and is the responsibility of attendees to arrange their own transportation.
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.