How can we increase the benefits of research? Forte is a member of an international network of health research funders; Ensuring Value in Research (EViR). Last week EViR held its 17th Round Table-meeting at Forte.

EViR consists of research funders from around the world. The network offers a platform to share knowledge and develop new approaches to increase the value of research. On the 2-3 of October Forte hosted EViRs’ yearly Round Table-meeting.

Group photo of participants of the 17th EViR round table meeting in Stockholm
Group photo from EViR’s 17th round table meeting. Upper row from the left: Sigrid Hegna Ingvaldsen, Foundation Dam, Norway, Jan-Ole Hesselberg, Foundation Dam, Norway, Anne Cody, Health Research Board, Ireland,  Anna-Karin Florén, Forte, Sweden, Stella Jacobson, Forte, Sweden, Staffan Arvidsson, Forte, Sweden, Sang Kil Lee, NECA, South Korea, Beatrix Schumak, DLR, Germany, Songhee Cho, NECA, South Korea, Raliza Stoyanova, IAMHRF, Sweden, Dae Seog Heo, NECA, South Korea, Michael Bowdery, Health and Care Research Wales, Wales, Dottie Goble, NIHR, UK, Cecilia Beskow, Forte, Sweden
Lower row from the left: Barbara van der Linden, ZonMw, The Netherlands, Marie Österberg, SBU, Sweden, Ruth Foxlee, Cochrane, UK, Karen Johnson, Cochrane, UK, Ann-Sofie Sundqvist, SBU, Sweden

During the two-day hybrid meeting, in total about 40 EViR members listened to presentations and participated in discussions on the meeting topic; Evidence, Implementation, and Impact.

– EViR’s goals agree well both with Fortes research areas as well as with our views on the importance of collaboration and research impact, says Staffan Arvidsson, senior research officer at Forte and EViR Steering Group member. It was very worthwhile to exchange knowledge on how to increase impact and dissemination of results, as well as discuss common challenges on participatory research of various kinds.

During the first part of the meeting Fortes research officers and heads of units presented experiences from Fortes work to make Forte-funded research more useful and contribute to solutions to societal challenges. The meeting also included presentations from members and researchers on topics such as how funders can work to improve implementation activities, participatory research, research impact, assessing and monitoring research as well as discussions on the EViR missions and strategic plan.