Connaught Global Challenge

Research Capacity for a Climate Positive Health System: The International Research Network for Climate Positive Care (IRNCPC)

About

The International Research Network for Climate Positive Care (IRNCPC) coordinates research and capacity development at the University of Toronto and builds robust national and international connections across three, linked, challenge-led and solutions-focused research themes:

1. Changing Products: Healthcare’s role in delivering a sustainable medical product ecosystem

2. Changing Spaces: Reshaping the built environment of care for the cities and health systems of the future

3. Changing Care: Generating evidence for sustainable service and system innovation

Objectives

The International Research Network for Climate Positive Care objectives are to:

1. Forge a common vision for research effort across the International Research Network for Climate Positive Care team that will cultivate novel and innovative, cross-divisional collaborative research activity

2. Develop interdisciplinary training pathways to create research capacity by fostering trainee interest in innovative interdisciplinary research on climate positive health systems.

Activities

Challenge Workshop (November 2021): The initiative was launched through a first Challenge Workshop in November 2021. At this workshop, the overall vision and key priorities for the initiative were defined, setting the course for future project activities.

Climate Positive Health Systems Webinar Series (March to May 2022): The webinar series focused on exploring the various research needs for a climate-positive health system. The speakers helped deepen awareness and clarify the research opportunities that exist within this scope. Click here to find out more.

Workshop Series (April to May 2022): This workshop series convened experts with differing perspectives regarding the ‘climate positive health systems’ issue to help identify knowledge gaps and synergies, and to consider opportunities for research collaboration and further development. The themes of the workshops were:

• The built environment;

• The role of frontline workers;

• The social determinants of health and sustainable care;

• The role of digital health systems transformation in sustainable health systems.

Future Directions

Through Fall 2022, the focus of the initiative will shift to preparing manuscripts, facilitating research networking and team formation, and exploring opportunities for further funding.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact us at cshs@utoronto.ca.