IPPH Dialogues: What we heard

Thank you for helping to shape IPPH's future research priorities

The CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH) would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone who participated in the IPPH Dialogues, a pan Canadian engagement tour to inform the Institute's 2027-2032 Research Priority Plan.

Between March and June 2026, IPPH embarked on a cross-Canada listening tour to engage the population and public health community in discussions about the future of research in Canada. In a series of engagement sessions and an online survey, participants generously shared their perspectives, experiences and ideas to help inform IPPH's 2027-2032 Research Priority Plan.

The IPPH team was inspired by participants' depth of expertise, thoughtful reflections and commitment to improving population and public health across the country. This feedback will play an important role in shaping our future Research Priority Plan.

Engagement numbers at a glance

Over 475 participants engaged across Canada

IPPH hosted 13 engagement events involving researchers, practitioners, decision makers, trainees, community partners, funding organizations and academic collaborators from across the country. Through 6 Town Halls, 3 Roundtables and 4 consultation sessions, IPPH engaged over 300 individuals.

Additional input through our online survey

IPPH also received 166 survey responses from a diverse group of interest-holders, including researchers (81), practitioners (36), community partners (19), trainees (16), and decision-makers (14), providing valuable perspectives on priorities and opportunities for population and public health research in Canada.

Who did we engage in our sessions?

What we heard: Key themes

Overall, IPPH's vision for the next Research Priority Plan resonated strongly with the population and public health research community in Canada: Moving Upstream to address health inequities through a focus on structural determinants of health and public health systems.

Participants also shared valuable perspectives on the future of population and public health research in Canada. While viewpoints varied across sectors and regions, several common themes emerged:

• Human and ecosystem health – land, water, air, food and people – are highly interconnected
• Epistemic justice and Indigenous knowledge systems must be foundational elements of IPPH's future Research Priority Plan
• Geographic equity should be intentionally built into funding opportunities
• Meaningful partnerships and community engagement are essential ingredients of a population and public health research agenda
• More interdisciplinary research is needed, especially involving the social sciences
• AI and mis/disinformation are emerging, cross-cutting themes
• Supporting capacity early in the research career pipeline is a priority

What comes next?

Indigenous engagement

IPPH will continue its engagement activities in the Fall of 2026 through a series of sessions with Indigenous partners and communities, including with the Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHRs). These discussions will help ensure Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully reflected in IPPH’s 2027-2032 Research Priority Plan, expected to launch in Winter 2027.

Date modified:

2026-09-17