About Us

At a Glance

The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Evidence Alliance is a pan-Canadian research initiative designed to promote evidence-informed health policy and practice changes.  Our 400+ network of researchers, trainees, patient partners, and stakeholders is led by Dr. Andrea Tricco and 13 principal investigators from across Canada.

The SPOR Evidence Alliance was founded in 2017, thanks to a five-year grant awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) under Canada’s SPOR Initiative, and the generosity of partners from 41 sponsors from public and not-for-profit sectors in Canada.


Our Vision

To promote a Canadian health system that is increasingly informed and continuously improved using up-to-date scientific evidence.

An Overview



Our Goals

The SPOR Evidence Alliance aims to:

  1. Provide timely responses to decision-maker (including patients) needs for evidence to inform health policy and practice changes.
  2. Strengthen partnerships with organizations and individuals who use research, by meaningfully involving them in governance, priority-setting, research conduct and uptake of research findings.
  3. Improve Canada-wide collaboration and coordination of health research to avoid duplication of research efforts.
  4. Support new researchers and trainees by offering more collaboration, training, and mentorship opportunities.
  5. Create meaningful partnerships with national and international organizations to increase the visibility and uptake of Canadian research.
  6. Make research findings more easily accessible by publishing findings with open-access.
  7. Advance the science of knowledge synthesis, guideline development, knowledge translation, and patient-oriented research.
  8. Support and strengthen partnerships within the SPOR enterprise.

Our Approach

  • Our work is guided by evidence-informed methods to ensure the highest standards in research practice.
  • Our research environment promotes inclusiveness, respect and collaboration. 
  • Our research is conducted with decision-makers (including patients) who use and are impacted by the findings.