Call for Applications: Paula Goering Collaborative Research and Knowledge Translation Award in Mental Health and Addictions

The Paula Goering Collaborative Research and Knowledge Translation Award recognizes an innovative researcher–knowledge user collaboration for integrated knowledge production and translation in the area of mental health and addictions. The award honours Dr. Paula Goering, a national leader in health services research and a pathbreaker in integrated knowledge development and dissemination.

About Paula Goering

Dr. Goering held various senior positions at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), including Head of the Health Systems Research and Consulting Unit, which she established. She was a Professor in the Departments of Psychiatry and Nursing and the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto. From 2000 to 2010, Dr. Goering held a Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR)/Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement Chair in Health Services Research, focused on Knowledge Translation.

About the Award

The Award was launched in 2012 and is offered every two years. The CAMH Foundation and the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry fund the award. It is managed by the Provincial System Support Program (PSSP) at CAMH. PSSP houses the Evidence Exchange Network (EENet), a mental health and addictions knowledge mobilization network for Ontario that Dr. Goering was instrumental in creating. PSSP shares Dr. Goering’s aims to strengthen the relevance of research and bridge the research-to-practice gap.

About this Call for Applications

The award committee is inviting applications for research–knowledge user collaboration projects that demonstrate use of an integrated knowledge translation (IKT) approach in the mental health and addictions sector. Collaboration may occur during:

• Selection of the research question
• Decisions about the methodology, data collection, and tool development
• Interpretation of findings
• Dissemination of results

IKT is used to improve the relevance and impact of research. IKT can be applied to both knowledge generation and knowledge implementation studies, across diverse research topics, including prevention, early intervention, treatment, recovery, and rehabilitation.

The award committee is seeking collaborative IKT research projects that demonstrate innovation, creativity, and value to the field. At least one of the partners should be based in Ontario. Young investigators are encouraged to apply.

Application Process

Submission form: https://forms.office.com/r/ufdF7VeaXg

Application submission deadline: 
December 17, 2024

Award recipient notified:
March 14, 2025

Award Details

Eligibility Criteria

• Project is completed or close to completion.
• At least one partner in the project is based in Ontario.
• The project is based on IKT principles and values aligned with the CIHR definition. 

Principle Adjudication Criteria

• Project demonstrates components of IKT.
• Project has mental health and/or addictions focus.
• Project approach shows innovation, creativity.
• There is diverse stakeholder involvement, including persons with lived experience.
• Project demonstrates value to people experiencing mental health and/or addictions problems and the people and services that support them.

Required Information

• Application
  • Project overview (research aim, rationale, method, findings) (300 words maximum)
  • Use of an integrated knowledge translation approach (including IKT activities and stakeholder groups involved) (300 words maximum)
  • Project innovation and creativity (200 words maximum)
  • Stage of Implementation/completion (200 words maximum)
  • Evaluation (evidence of impact or value to the field, or what is planned) (200 words maximum)
  • Potential for scalability (200 words maximum)
  • Value to mental health and addictions field (200 words maximum)
• Plain language summary (250 words maximum)
• Partner brief bios (at least one researcher and one knowledge user; 200 words per bio maximum)

Award Information

• Total funds available: $4000 (for two awards of $2000 each)
• Award recipients will be invited to present their project at an event hosted by EENet. 

Review Committee

• Includes representation from Research, knowledge user, and policy communities.