In January 2024, the Alliance kicked off a coast-to-coast community roadshow throughout Canada to share the future vision for digital research infrastructure (DRI). Meetings were held with key stakeholders within the ecosystem including those in academic institutions, regional organizations, research organizations, provincial governments, and more.
During these key discussions, the Alliance presented the rationale and process followed to define the future vision. Results were shared from various activities including a jurisdictional analysis exercise, benchmarking activity and emerging trends from researchers on what is currently impacting DRI.
Roadshow by the numbers:
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39 meetings held (31 in person, 8 virtual)
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Discussions were had with approximately 150 stakeholders
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Six host cities were visited (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax)
The Alliance received great feedback and suggestions from the community, including:
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Overarching support for the 2025-30 vision, as well as offers from various community members to advocate with the Alliance.
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Appreciation for sharing analysis and findings that were data driven and supported the direction forward.
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A need for a unified voice to support this significant investment.
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Frustration with the current funding model and its inability to support a cohesive and functioning digital research ecosystem.
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Concerns of talent drain and undo stress on highly qualified personnel due to the unpredictable funding model.
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Recognition of Canada’s lagging position in DRI compared to other countries, and how to catch up (particularly with the emergence of AI).
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Questions about the requirements and partner support needed to successfully achieve such a big and bold vision.
We thank all those who joined us to share their ideas, suggestions and concerns. We also thank Board members Connie Bonello, Philippe Beaudoin, Gail Murphy, Randall Sobie and Denis Thérien who joined us on the road. We would also like to acknowledge the following institutions who so graciously hosted the roadshow meetings across the country:
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University of British Columbia
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University of Calgary
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Université de Montréal
As we continue to advance the vision for DRI in Canada, we will expand on the important conversations had during the roadshow and engage further with our partners across the DRI ecosystem.
For more information on the 2024 Alliance community roadshow, including access to our presentation, visit www.alliancecan.ca/en/initiatives/2025-30