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.
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.”
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.
Mariam Hayward, Western Research’s director (inclusive research excellence and impact), co-leads and co-developed RECAP (Western Communications photo)
Jann Paquette-Warren, director of Western Research Institutes, co-leads and co-developed RECAP (Western Communications photo)
