New report reveals researchers across Canada face barriers to community innovation and impact
New report reveals researchers across Canada face barriers to community innovation and impact Brighter World
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A new report reveals researchers across Canada face barriers to community innovation and impact
Introduction
A new report and discussion paper led by Sandra Lapointe, a professor in the Faculty of Humanities’ Department of Philosophy, examines the gap between universities’ stated vision for community innovation and impact, and its actual implementation.
BY Nadia Lana
May 3, 2024
Background
There’s a difference between words and action at Canada’s universities when it comes to supporting community innovation and impact, a new report says – and that’s affecting the ability of researchers to make a measurable difference in the communities around them.
Report Findings
The report, led by Sandra Lapointe, reveals that although universities are starting to recognize the importance of community innovation and impact, there is a disconnect between what some Canadian universities say about their commitment to this work and the actual support provided to social sciences, humanities, and arts (SSHA) researchers.
Survey Results
The report includes the results of a survey conducted by Lapointe and colleagues across 97 Canadian public universities. The survey aimed to understand the barriers to building relationships with the community that lead to innovation and impact.
Impact of Traditional Academic Culture
Traditional academic culture, according to Lapointe, was identified as the main roadblock. Institutional cultures influenced by incentives and policies around tenure, promotion, and merit recognition hinder the support for community-focused work.
“The widespread absence of institutionalized mechanisms to value the kind of work that creates innovation and impact in the community is making it impossible for the culture to change,” says Lapointe.
Bibliometric measures, such as number of publications, journal impact rating, and citation counts, contribute to a “publish or perish” culture that doesn’t reflect the value of community-focused work. Lapointe argues that evaluating research based on bibliometric calculations is inadequate and highlights the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) as a step towards improving research evaluation methods.
Disconnect between Faculty and University Leadership
The report also highlights differences between faculty and university leadership’s perception of how strongly community impact and innovation are incentivized. While faculty members indicate a lack of support or incentives for community-focused knowledge mobilization, those in leadership positions respond more neutrally or positively.
Upcoming Forum on Social Innovation and Impact
The outcomes of the survey will be discussed at the second Canadian Forum for Social Innovation in June. The forum aims to develop a roadmap for Canada’s innovation ecosystem with a focus on social impact
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
- SDG 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending.
- SDG 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard.
- SDG 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries.
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Number of universities implementing mechanisms to support community innovation and impact in social sciences, humanities, and arts (SSHA) research.
- Number of institutions evaluating research based on scientific content rather than publication metrics.
- Number of institutions measuring the impact of research outputs on policy and practice.
- Perception of faculty and university leadership on the level of support and incentivization for community-focused knowledge mobilization.
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 4: Quality Education | Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including among others through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles. | – Number of universities implementing mechanisms to support community innovation and impact in SSHA research. |
| SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure | Target 9.5: Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending. | – Number of institutions evaluating research based on scientific content rather than publication metrics. – Number of institutions measuring the impact of research outputs on policy and practice. |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies, and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies, and action in this regard. | – Perception of faculty and university leadership on the level of support and incentivization for community-focused knowledge mobilization. |
| SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals | Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources to support the achievement of the sustainable development goals in all countries. | – Number of universities implementing mechanisms to support community innovation and impact in SSHA research. – Perception of faculty and university leadership on the level of support and incentivization for community-focused knowledge mobilization. |
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Fuente: brighterworld.mcmaster.ca
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