Knowledge synthesis and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is Canada's premier health-research funding agency. CIHR funds nearly 14,000 researchers and trainees in four theme areas: biomedical, clinical, health services, and population and public-health research. Our mandate is 'to excel according to international standards of scientific excellence, in the creation of new knowledge and its translation into improved health for Canadians, more effective health services and products and a strengthened Canadian health care system' (http://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/7263.html webcite). Knowledge synthesis is a key element of the knowledge-translation objectives of CIHR as detailed in our definition of knowledge-translation.Knowledge translation is a dynamic and iterative process that includes synthesis, dissemination, exchange, and ethically sound application of knowledge to improve the health of Canadians, provide more effective health services and products, and strengthen the healthcare system. This process takes place within a complex system of interactions between researchers and knowledge users that may vary in intensity, complexity, and level of engagement depending on the nature of the research and the findings, and the needs of the particular knowledge user (http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/39033.html webcite).CIHR takes a broad view of the concept of 'synthesis'. It is more than systematic review; it is a family of methodologies that can be deployed to achieve a better understanding of what is known in a given field or what the current gaps in knowledge are. CIHR defines synthesis as '...the contextualization and integration of research findings of individual research studies within the larger body of knowledge on the topic. A synthesis must be reproducible and transparent in its methods, using quantitative and/or qualitative methods. It could take the form of a systematic review, follow the methods developed by the Cochrane Collaboration, result from a consensus conference or expert