Increasing Awareness and Understanding of Problematic Substance Use Reducing Alcohol-Related Harms Addressing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Preventing the Problematic Use of Pharmaceuticals Addressing Enforcement Issues Sustaining Workforce Development Implementing a National Research Agenda and Facilitating Knowledge Transfer Improving the quality, accessibility and range of options to treat harmful substance use including substance use disorders (Treatment) Modernizing Legislative, Regulatory and Policy Frameworks Focusing on Children and Youth Reaching Out to Canada’s North Supporting First Nations, Inuit and Métis People in Addressing Their Needs Responding to Offender-Related Issues Raising Public Awareness About Addictions: Creating Momentum for Action National Alcohol Policy Thematic Workshop National Thematic Workshop on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) Preventing the Harmful Use of Psychotropic Pharmaceuticals National Thematic Workshop on Enforcement Police and Policing Partners: Supply Management and Demand Reduction Workforce Development Thematic Workshop National Thematic Workshop on Research National Thematic Workshop on Improving the Quality, Accessibility, and Range of Options to Treat Harmful Substance Use Including Substance Use Disorders (Treatment) National Thematic Workshop on Corrections National Symposium on Language
 
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Implementing a National Research Agenda and Facilitating Knowledge Transfer

Canada's capacity to make informed policy decisions and to develop and implement the appropriate prevention, treatment, enforcement and harm reduction programs to address alcohol and drug issues depends in great part on our collective knowledge and understanding of the nature and scope of substance use issues. Implementing a national research agenda that influences policy and practice is a key priority.  

The Framework contributes to conditions that facilitate increased collaboration and information sharing among stakeholders, researchers, experts and jurisdictions. It embraces the development and implementation of a National Research Agenda that will provide a focus for action by identifying issues of common concern, research needs and priorities of national interest.  

The National Research Agenda focuses on: research including fundamental and social scientific approaches; surveillance and monitoring, including surveys and ongoing data collection; evaluation, including policy and program evaluation on prevention, treatment, enforcement, and harm reduction interventions; and infrastructure (i.e. knowledge transfer, the entirety of supportive mechanisms needed to ensure relevant, timely, dynamic, and high quality research in the substance use and abuse field). Building or improving on existing infrastructure or mechanisms to support the development of a research agenda is pivotal for ongoing identification of priorities for action under the Agenda and the Framework.  

Update 

On March 29-30 Health Canada hosted a thematic workshop to identify key concrete priorities and actions in each of the following areas: research, surveillance, evaluation and infrastructure. National Thematic Workshop on Research. 

Creating the appropriate conditions for collaboration among stakeholders, researchers, experts, and jurisdictions is a first step in implementing the National Research AgendaAction Plan.  To this end, along with the four areas of focus (i.e. four pillars), a national research core committee has been established to create and sustain the needed infrastructure for the National Research Agenda.  This committee, referred to as the National Coordination and Advisory Committee (NCAC) will provide oversight for the coordination and implementation of the National Research Agenda. The Surveillance Advisory Committee is another active committee.