The Health System Impact Program

Modernizing Health Services and Policy Research Training for Greater Impact

The Health System Impact (HSI) program was one of several outputs of the 2015 Pan-Canadian Training Modernization Strategy, which identified key strategic directions to modernize university-based Health Services and Policy Research (HSPR) doctoral and post-doctoral training programs for optimized career readiness and impact. It started in 2017 as the HSI Fellowship for doctoral trainees and post-doctoral fellows. Since then, embedded research career pathways were identified as a priority for consideration and in 2022, the HSI program was refreshed to include a new stream for early career researchers (ECRs). This stream is intended to help establish a career pathway for embedded researchers and generate additional research capacity to advance learning health systems (LHSs) across Canada.

Central to this program is participation in a national cohort and professional development aligned to the HSPR Enriched Core Competency Framework.

The HSI program is led by the CIHR Institute of Health Services and Policy Research's (CIHR-IHSPR) in collaboration with multiple CIHR institutes and initiatives, funding agencies, health system organizations and universities.

The program supports CIHR-IHSPR's 2021-2026 strategic plan priority 3, “Integrate evidence into health services and policy decisions for improved health care system performance and outcomes,” and priority 4, “Strengthen capacity for solution-oriented research and evidence-informed health care system transformation.” It also advances CIHR's strategic plan priorities A (A1. Champion a more inclusive concept of research excellence), B (B3. Enhance training and career support) and E (E1. Advance the science of knowledge mobilization and E3. Strengthen Canada's health systems through innovation).

Current Funding Opportunities

• 2024 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity

Archived Funding Opportunities

• 2023 Health System Impact Embedded Early Career Researcher Award
• 2023 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2022 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2021 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2021 Health System Impact Fellowship National Cohort Retreat
• 2019 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2018 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2017 HSI Fellowship Funding Opportunity
• 2016 Training Modernization Start-Up Grants

National Cohort Training Program

In 2021, the Institute of Health Services and Policy Research was thrilled to announce and congratulate the awardees of the Health System Impact (HSI) Fellowship National Cohort Training Program (NCTP) funding opportunity.

The NCTP initiative provides HSI Fellows, alumni fellows, and their health system and academic supervisors with novel training, networking and collaboration opportunities designed to enhance their leadership competency and ability to apply their advanced research skillset to address pressing and complex health system challenges. The training is aligned to the health services and policy research enriched core competency framework and will aim to amplify Fellows' embedded research impact and contribution to evidence-informed health system improvement.

The NCTP is led by a national consortium consisting of 65 members, 22 of which were previous HSI Fellows and 14 of which were HSI Fellow mentors. The consortium includes representation from 8 provinces and brings together a diverse set of perspectives with health system leaders and emerging leaders across academia and the health care delivery, public, not-for-profit, and private sectors. Overall, their unique insight into the HSI Fellowship program, as well as connection to health system organizations and decision-makers, provides a strong basis for advancing HSI Fellow cohort development and more broadly, learning health systems across Canada.

For more information, please refer to the NCTP Funding Opportunity.

Meet the co-Principal Applicant team:

Dr. Deborah Marshall
University of Calgary; HSI Fellow Academic Supervisor; Nominated Principal Applicant

Dr. Elena Lopatina
University of Calgary; HSI Fellow Alumna

Tracy Wasylak
Alberta Health Services; HSI Fellow Host Partner Supervisor

Dr. Kiran Pohar Manhas
Alberta Health Services; HSI Fellow Alumna

Dr. Tom Noseworthy
University of Calgary; HSI Fellow Host Partner Supervisor

Dr. Deepa Singal
University of Manitoba; HSI Fellow Alumna

Dr. Stirling Bryan
British Columbia Academic Health Science Network

Dr. Kim McGrail
University of British Columbia; HSI Fellow Academic Supervisor

Dr. Malcolm Doupe
University of Manitoba; HSI Fellow Academic Supervisor

Dr. Natasha Gallant
University of Saskatchewan; HSI Fellow Alumna

Sandra Zelinsky
Alberta SPOR Support Unit; Patient Engagement Researcher

Quote from Dr. Deborah Marshall, NPA:

"We are eager to champion and advance the community of practice for the next generation of health services and policy researchers – advancing high-performing and patient-centred learning health systems across Canada. We have an amazing collaborative team and I am honoured to be part of it. We are grateful to CIHR-IHSPR and our diverse partners and supporters, including the University of Calgary, the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, the BC Academic Science Health Network, the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, the O'Brien Institute for Public Health, the Alberta SUPPORT Unit, Alberta Innovates, and Alberta Health Services Strategic Clinical Networks^TM."

Quote from Dr. Elena Lopatina, Co-PI & HSI Fellow Alumna

"I am passionate about the HSI Fellowship – it gave me opportunities for professional development and networking beyond what I could have imagined in doctoral training. I am really looking forward to working with the incoming fellows to share these same opportunities."

Partners involved in the National Cohort Training Program:

Partnering on the Health System Impact Program

The Health System Impact Fellowship program is led by CIHR-IHSPR but made possible because of partnerships across several funders, health system organizations and universities.

Partner Linkage Tool

• Partner Linkage Tool (for new partners)

Funding Partners

• Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS)
• Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC)
• Mitacs
• New Brunswick Health Research Foundation (NBHRF)
• Research Nova Scotia
• Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation (SHRF)
• 11 CIHR Institutes^{Footnote *}, the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research, CIHR's Healthy Cities Research Initiative & CIHR's Science Policy Branch

Health System Organization & University Partners

• Health System Organizations

  • AdvantAge Ontario
  • Alberta Health Services
  • Alberta Health Services, Strategic Clinical Networks
  • Alberta Ministry of Health
  • Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, World Health Organization
  • Amaris Consulting
  • Arthritis Alliance of Canada
  • Autism Alliance of Canada
  • Autism Ontario
  • BC Academic Health Science Network
  • BC Cancer Agency
  • BC Centre for Disease Control
  • BC Ministry of Health
  • BC Ministry of Mental Health & Addictions
  • BC Observatory for Population & Public Health
  • BC Office of the Provincial Health Officer
  • BC Patient Safety and Quality Council
  • Better Outcomes Registry & Network (BORN) Ontario
  • Canada Health Infoway
  • Canadian Agency for Drugs for Technologies in Health
  • Canadian Blood Services
  • Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute
  • Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement
  • Canadian Institute for Health Information
  • Canadian Mental Health Association
  • Canadian Nurses Association
  • Canadian Nutrition Society
  • Canadian Red Cross
  • Canadian Society for International Health
  • Cancer Care Ontario
  • CancerCare Manitoba
  • Centre intègre universitaire de santé et de services sociaux du Centre ouest de l'Île de Montréal
  • Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de Chaudière-Appalaches
  • Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Montérégie-Centre
  • Centre intègre universitaire de santé et de services sociaux l'Ouest de l'Île de Montréal
  • Centre intégré universitaire de santé et de services sociaux de la Capitale-Nationale
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
  • Centre of Excellence on Partnership with Patients and the Public
  • Champlain Maternal Newborn Regional Program
  • Child Health BC - BC Children's Hospital
  • Children's' Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
  • CIET Canada
  • City of Hamilton, Public Health Services
  • Community-Based Research Centre
  • Community Living BC
  • Correctional Service Canada
  • Deloitte LLP
  • Dignitas International
  • East Toronto Health Partners
  • First Nations Health Authority
  • Fraser Health Authority
  • Government of Saskatchewan
  • Government of Yukon
  • Gwich'in Tribal Council
  • Hamilton Health Sciences
  • Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Local Health Integration Network
  • Health Canada
  • Health Standards Organization
  • Healthy Child Manitoba
  • Heart and Stroke Foundation
  • Hospital for Sick Children
  • Hypertension Canada
  • Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ)
  • Institut national d'excellence en santé et services sociaux (INESSS)
  • Institut Nazareth et Louis-Braille
  • Institute for Circumpolar Health Research
  • Institute of Clinical Evaluative Sciences (IC/ES)
  • Interior Health Authority
  • IWK Health Centre
  • Jack.org
  • Joseph Brant Hospital
  • Manitoba Health
  • McGill University Health Centre
  • National Microbiology Laboratory, PHAC
  • Niagara Emergency Medical Services
  • North York General Hospital
  • Northern Health Authority
  • Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness
  • Nova Scotia Health Authority
  • NS Education & Early Childhood Development
  • Ontario Hospital Association
  • Ontario Long Term Care Association
  • Ontario Medical Association
  • Ontario Ministry of the Solicitor General
  • Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation
  • The Ottawa Hospital
  • Peel Public Health
  • Perley Health Community of Care
  • Policy Wise for Children and Families
  • Public Health Agency of Canada
  • Public Health Ontario
  • Queen's Family Health Team
  • SE Research Centre
  • Saint John Human Development Council
  • Sanctum Care Group
  • Saskatchewan Health Authority
  • Saskatchewan Ministry of Health
  • Saskatoon Health Region
  • See Things My Way
  • Statistics Canada
  • St. Joseph's Healthcare
  • St. Michael's Hospital
  • Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
  • Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
  • The City of Calgary
  • The Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association
  • Trillium Health Partners
  • United Way British Columbia
  • University Health Network
  • University of Ottawa Heart Institute
  • Vancouver Coastal Health
  • Vancouver Island Health Authority
  • VHA Home HealthCare
  • Victoria Hospice
  • Women's College Hospital
  • York Region Paramedic and Senior Services
• Universities

  • Carleton University
  • Concordia University
  • Dalhousie University
  • McGill University
  • McMaster University
  • Mount Saint Vincent University
  • Simon Fraser University
  • Université de Sherbrooke
  • Université Laval
  • Université de Montreal
  • Université du Québec à Montréal
  • University of Alberta
  • University of British Columbia
  • University of Calgary
  • University of Guelph
  • University of Manitoba
  • University of Northern British Columbia
  • University of Ottawa
  • University of Regina
  • University of Saskatchewan
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Victoria
  • University of Waterloo
  • University of Western Ontario
  • York University

What's in it for you? The Benefits of Becoming Involved

For embedded researchers:

• Your research and analytic talents will contribute to addressing the critical challenges facing health system organizations outside of the traditional university setting (e.g., public, private for-profit, and not-for-profit organizations that are not universities). In addition, you will develop professional experience, new skills, and networks;
• You will learn first-hand how health system organizations work, how decisions are made, and how research and analytic skills contribute broadly to improving an organization's performance;
• You will acquire unique professional development training and develop an expanded set of competencies (e.g., leadership, negotiation, project management, change management) all designed to accelerate your professional growth and better prepare you to embark on a wider range of career paths with greater impact;
• As a participant of a national cohort of embedded researchers and leaders from academic and health system and related organizations, you will benefit from unparalleled mentorship and networking opportunities.

For health system organizations:

• You will benefit from direct access to the country's rising stars in health services and policy research and related fields (e.g., population health, epidemiology, data science, health economics);
• Your organization will benefit from expertise in cutting- edge methodologies and analytics to advance your goals and priorities, generate innovative solutions grounded in the best available evidence, and build in-house capacity for research;
• Your organization will expand its relationships with the academic sector and the health research community;
• By contributing to training, mentoring, and preparing a cadre of the country's up-and-coming brightest minds, your organization will be playing a leadership role in securing a bright future for your sector.

For university training programs:

• By aligning scholarship with health system improvement, your institution will be well positioned to demonstrate the versatility of PhD graduates and the value-added quotient that they bring to help inform health policy and system transformation;
• You will foster meaningful and impactful career paths outside of the academy, accelerate career growth and impact, and encourage the skills and expertise of PhD trained individuals for broader societal contribution;
• You will contribute to the expansion and enrichment of the traditional training environment by engaging health system and related organizations in preparing a cadre of promising PhD graduates for successful careers.

Health System Impact Embedded Researcher Profiles

Learn more about our current & previous Health System Impact embedded researcher projects:

Learn more about our alumni and careers post-Health System Impact program: Health System Impact Alumni Career Profiles

Resources

• 2017-19 Embedded Research Impact Casebook
• Enriched core competencies for HSPR
• How Do We Build the Human Capital for a True Learning Healthcare System?
• Minister's Announcements:
  • 2023: Government of Canada invests more than $4.7M in health researchers who will tackle high-priority challenges in our health systems
  • 2022: Government of Canada invests more than $4.7M to give next generation of health researchers hands-on experience tackling health system challenges
  • 2021: Government of Canada investing in talented scholars through the Health System Impact Fellowship program
  • 2017: A new $5.8 million investment embeds PhD graduates within healthcare organizations for greater impact
• Collection of manuscripts on Training Modernization in a November 2019 special issue of the journal of Healthcare Policy
• Training Modernization Strategy (Canadian Health Services and Policy Research Alliance: Report from the Working Group on Training [ PDF (323 KB) - external link ])
• Health System Impact Fellowship: Program Overview and Impacts [ PDF (937 KB) - external link ]