Grant: Planning and Dissemination Grant - Institute Community Support

This national webinar series will bridge the gap between cutting-edge immunology research and real-world impact on infection, organ donation, and transplantation. Our goal is to create a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange, foster collaboration and showcase Canadian expertise. We'll engage a diverse audience, including patients, families, healthcare professionals, trainees, community organizations, and policymakers. A gender-balanced planning committee, comprising trainees, patient partners, and researchers from diverse backgrounds, will select topics based on the latest research. We're committed to featuring speakers from underrepresented scientific groups, and each webinar will provide invaluable speaking opportunities for trainees, mid-to-late career and early-career researchers. This will support their career development and enhance national visibility, fostering the next generation of infection and immunity leaders. We'll widely promote the series via the CDTRP and ThéCell networks, national transplant centers, and partners such as the Kidney Foundation of Canada and Liver Canada. To ensure broad accessibility, we'll offer primer webinars on foundational immunology and creating effective graphical abstracts, with three sessions in French. We'll meticulously track attendance and gather feedback to guarantee continuous improvement and responsiveness to audience needs. This initiative aligns with the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity's mandate, critically advancing knowledge and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration within Canada's infection and immunity research community. By actively involving patients, families, and donors and facilitating inclusive knowledge exchange, the series will ultimately improve the health, social, and economic well-being of individuals and communities affected by infection, immunity, and transplantation, translating scientific advances to better patient care and strengthening the connections between science and practice.