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Arthritis Social Impact Program

Arthritis Social Impact Program

Creating sustainable solutions

Call for Expressions of Interest
Deadline: December 14, 2021

Submit Expression of Interest

The Arthritis Society Canada’s Social Impact Program was created to sustainably deploy innovative therapies, programs and interventions. We’re reaching out to researchers, clinicians and systems innovators across the nation, asking what they have that could positively impact the lives of Canadians living with arthritis. With our strength in federal and provincial government relations and our ability to attract donors and investors, we want to partner to unleash solutions to solve wicked system-wide problems like navigation, inequitable access to care, disability at work, reducing wait times and more.

In preparation for this launch, Arthritis Society Canada held a series of Innovation Den events in 2020-21, inviting clinical, research, technology, policy and other experts, as well as people living with arthritis with diverse experiences, to identify pressing needs and opportunities in arthritis care. Arthritis Society Canada also worked with an external partner, Impakt, to interview key stakeholders and perform a literature review to define the current state of evidence and identify points in the arthritis patient journey where there is room for impactful and innovative intervention. 

Arthritis Society Canada is seeking solutions that it can evaluate for their potential to qualitatively and quantitatively impact the healthcare or social systems to the benefit of people with arthritis. These could include new care pathways, self-management programs, technologies and more. 

Arthritis Society Canada will create viable ways for interventions to be sustained by contractually bringing funders, innovators and other partners to the table. Our goal is for people with arthritis to benefit from evidence-based interventions that exist or are in development, but are not yet widely available or implemented. Any intellectual property will remain with the applicant/host institution. 

In this first call for Expressions of Interest (EOIs), Arthritis Society Canada is focused on solutions that will improve access to care for people living with arthritis, including navigation of the healthcare system and solutions addressing inequities in arthritis care in Canada.

This is a call for EOIs to understand what interventions are currently available and that may not yet be sustainable or used within the healthcare or social system.

Arthritis Society Canada is interested in all submissions received and will evaluate them with external experts in arthritis care and social impact programs. We aim to advance 1-2 social impact programs over the next year, supported by funding and project management, to bring the concept to fruition. The specific activities and future investment will depend on the nature of the intervention/solution but may include collaboration with external implementation and funding partners from the private or public sector, initiation of dissemination and implementation strategies and/or seed investments.

Key Dates: 

  • December 14, 2021 – Submissions close

  • January 31, 2022 – Response to EOI applicants selected for further development

Learn about the submission process and review criteria.

Submit Expression of Interest

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Siân Bevan