2025 KT Canada Summer Institute
For 17 years, the KT Canada Summer Institute has been a cornerstone for training in knowledge translation (KT) and patient-oriented research (POR). More than 460 participants have completed the program, many of whom now hold leadership roles advancing research and practice across Canada and beyond.
The 2025 Summer Institute, hosted at Simon Fraser University’s downtown Vancouver campus, brought together early-career researchers, graduate students, patient partners, and KT experts from across the country. Sessions covered KT theories, models and frameworks, intersectionality in KT, and provided opportunities for mentorship and networking to support career development.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) was embedded throughout the program, from trainee selection to speaker panels. Members of the planning committee, many of them sex and gender champions, also shared resources developed through CIHR-funded work on intersectionality in KT.
The Institute’s impact is clear: alumni have gone on to roles in academia, government, and industry, with more than 10 securing Canada Research Chairs, over 10 earning CIHR Rising Star awards, and more than 30 joining Health Canada or the Public Health Agency of Canada.
OSSU has proudly supported the Summer Institute on multiple occasions since its inception in 2011. This support helps reduce registration fees and sponsor Ontario trainees, making training more accessible and ensuring the continued growth of KT and POR capacity in Canada.
Other 2025 supporters included Health Research BC, the BC SUPPORT Unit, Simon Fraser University’s Knowledge Mobilization Hub, UBC’s Knowledge Exchange Unit, and the Knowledge Translation Program at Unity Health Toronto.
Participants left the 2025 Summer Institute with stronger skills in KT and POR, greater confidence to apply their knowledge in practice, and new professional connections to carry forward.
Information about the 2026 KT Summer Institute will be available in November. For questions, please contact Meghan Storey at [Meghan.Storey@unityhealth.to].
