Knowledge Mobilization Bursary for Not-For-Profits

Since it was launched in 2017, the University of Guelph’s Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization has helped professionals from the academic, policy, and service delivery sectors gain skills in knowledge mobilization and evidence-based decision making. This professional development opportunity is delivered entirely online; through three eight-week courses, participants learn to identify and address barriers to knowledge mobilization, and use tools and techniques to enhance the impact of research and facilitate the development of evidence-informed policy and practice.

Recognizing that the cost of the certificate can be prohibitive for not-for-profit organizations, CESI used funding from the Future Skills Centre in Fall 2019 to offer three free registrations to not-for-profit workers for Course 2 of the Certificate, Engage: Building capacity to understand and use relevant evidence. Individuals working at any not-for-profit in Canada were invited to apply, and participants were selected based on their motivation for taking the course and potential to use their new knowledge and skills in their organizations. Each registration had a value of $1200+HST

The 2020 bursary recipients represented the not-for-profit organizations Let’s Talk Science, Woman Abuse Council of Toronto (WomanACT), and the Canadian Institute for Health Information. In reflecting on their experience in the course, participants highlighted that the course improved their understanding of knowledge mobilization frameworks and strategies and helped them engage with stakeholders more effectively. It also led them to share what they learned about knowledge mobilization with their colleagues, develop knowledge mobilization plans, and employ new techniques for stakeholder analysis and engagement.