(Episode 167) Research Impact Heroes – Dr David Phipps on Building Canada's Impact Ecosystem

🎙️In our latest episode, host Dr Ged Hall interviewed another of his #ResearchImpactHeroes Dr David Phipps, Assistant Vice President of Research Strategy and Impact at York University in Toronto and co-founder of Research Impact Canada! Discover how a 40-year journey from HIV research to knowledge mobilisation helped build one of the world's most influential impact networks.

🔹 Hear David's winding path from immunology research during the HIV/AIDS crisis to becoming a pioneer of "knowledge mobilisation" - years before the term even existed. 🔹 Learn why Canada thinks about impact as a "how", not a "what" - and why not having a REF has been a blessing, not a barrier.

🔹 Discover the origin story of Research Impact Canada, which began in 2006 with two universities and "no small amount of hubris."

🔹 Explore how a global community of impact networks - from the UK's UPEN to Chile's Vincula to New Zealand's IPEN - is learning from each other across borders.

🔹 Understand the toughest question David still grapples with: how do you build impact capacity in a resource-constrained system?

If you're passionate about making research matter, building professional communities, and creating real-world change, this episode is for you!

David shares his impact heroes too - shoutouts to Susan Renoe (ARIS, USA), Francisca Reyes (Vincula, Chile), and Wade Kelly (Deakin University) for the work they're doing to grow the global impact movement.

You can connect with David via LinkedIn and Bluesky.

Organisations, episodes, literature mentioned in the episode:

York University Knowledge MobilisationResearch Impact CanadaAdvancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS)Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN)VinculaImpact Planning and Evaluation Network (IPEN)(Episode 117) Navigating the Academic and Professional staff boundary with Dr Wade KellyThe Co-produced Pathway to Impact Describes Knowledge Mobilization Processes journal article

All of our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists:

Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Bluesky and LinkedIn)Research Impact Heroes with Ged HallOpen Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Bluesky and LinkedIn)Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Bluesky and LinkedIn)Research talent managementAcademic Failure with Taryn Bell (follow Taryn on Bluesky and LinkedIn)Meet the Research Culturositists with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Bluesky and LinkedIn)Research co-productionResearch evaluationResearch leadershipResearch professionals