Operating Grant: Opioid Crisis Knowledge Synthesis

In Canada, the dramatic and increasing number of overdoses and deaths related to the use of opioids is a national public health crisis. The Government of Canada is committed to tackling this crisis and has emphasized the need for a strong evidence base through the Canadian Drugs and Substances Strategy (CDSS), and the Joint Statement of Action to Address the Opioid Crisis. This funding opportunity will support expedited knowledge synthesis grants to rapidly inform policies on opioids related to one or more pillars of CDSS (i.e. prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement).

Knowledge syntheses are the cornerstone of knowledge translation. They interpret vast libraries of scientific literature into knowledge that is reliable, relevant and readable for knowledge users. Syntheses are comprehensive and apply scientific methods to literature analysis which minimizes the risk of bias and error that may accompany single studies, so health policy and practice decisions are less likely to be based on insufficient or premature evidence. Syntheses are also a means to integrate established literature with other forms of knowledge, to map the state of current knowledge on a topic, revealing to knowledge users where there is or is not strong evidence to inform their decisions, or to guide researchers to new areas of research.

This Funding Opportunity is expected to:

• Address the pressing evidence needs of knowledge users within one or more pillars of the CDSS.
• Increase the application of knowledge related to one or more pillars of the CDSS in policy and decision-making, in order to address the most urgent elements of the opioid crisis, including opioid-related mortality rates.
• Encourage syntheses that consider sub-populations and/or the biological and social determinants of problematic opioid use.