2017 NCE International Knowledge Translation Platforms (NCE-IKTP) initiative competition

The NCE-IKTP is an initiative under the NCE suite of programs. The goal of the NCE-IKTP initiative is to support international collaborations between networks, centres, consortia and their partners to accelerate knowledge translation in areas of mutual strategic interest. Note that collaborations are expected to be beyond the individual (i.e. researcher-to-researcher) level.

For the purposes of the NCE-IKTP Initiative, knowledge translation comprises all activities that create socio-economic impact through the transformation or application of evidence-based knowledge and/or technologies generated from research. This includes the range of activities encompassed in commercialization (transformation of knowledge or technology into marketable goods, processes or services) to those encompassed in knowledge mobilization (activities and tools designed to put knowledge into active service, often through the establishment of new or modification of existing policies, processes, and standards). To be effective, knowledge translation endeavours require the involvement of knowledge users, which may include end-users, community groups, government partners, receptors, businesses, and other stakeholders.
The objectives of the NCE-IKTP initiative are:

• To enable multi-disciplinary and multisectoral networks of stakeholders to enhance and expand strategic international partnerships;
• To accelerate the exchange of research results between Canadian and international stakeholders;
• To create and foster relationships to support knowledge translation in order to maximize the impact of research and its implementation or utilization internationally;
• To reduce the barriers that limit international knowledge translation endeavours; and
• To identify key global knowledge gaps and co-develop strategies to address these through future international research collaborations.

For the purposes of the NCE-IKTP initiative, a “Platform” can be thought of as an administrative support structure dedicated to delivering tools and expertise to meet the objectives listed above.