The Network for Canadian Oral Health Research (NCOHR) recently launched a website that promotes knowledge sharing among Canadian oral health researchers, researchers from other health disciplines and others interested in research to improve the oral health of Canadians.
The NCOHR website links to resources related to evidence-based dentistry, provides funding updates, and allows users to search a directory of oral health researchers and students by institution, name or area of research interest. Also included on the website is a working paper series that disseminates previously unpublished, peer-reviewed research papers submitted by NCOHR members.
In an effort to facilitate innovative interdisciplinary collaboration between universities, NCOHR also provides funding to build new research teams and hosts annual training sessions for graduate students. The site also lists funding updates and information on upcoming and completed workshops.
The NCOHR’s primary goal is to build capacity in the Canadian oral health research community by linking researchers from the 10 dental programs at universities across Canada. Dr. John O’Keefe, CDA director of knowledge networks, is chair of the NCOHR Knowledge Translation Council—a group that aims to serve as a conduit between oral health researchers and knowledge users.
“This is an exciting venture,” says Dr. Debora Matthews, director of the NCOHR. “We are grateful for the support of our partners, especially CDA. Our new website is another step in helping researchers collaborate and communicate with one another, and with our clinical colleagues. Collaborations are essential to the long-term viability of our research community and we hope that outcomes from these partnerships can ultimately make a difference in the oral health of Canadians.”