Strengthening the Voice of Science
In its commitment to science excellence, the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has launched the Strengthening the Voice of Science (VoS) initiative, a whole-of-agency, phased approach to break down barriers to excellence in public health science, and support building and sustaining PHAC science capacity in the short, medium and long term.
Preliminary engagement with PHAC’s scientific community has outlined needs and challenges in five areas, to sustain and strengthen PHAC’s position in delivering world-class science:
- People & Culture focuses on cultural and workforce elements required to attract, hire, train and retain the best public health expertise and become an “employer of choice” for scientists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
- Scientific Values & Excellence addresses elements associated with long-term, forward-looking public health science strategy and capacity across the Agency, at all levels.
- Leadership & Governance supports the interface between leadership and scientific expertise, and ensures that PHAC decision and policy-making processes are credible, transparent, and informed by the best available evidence and advice.
- Partnerships & Networks enables conditions for PHAC to be considered a “collaborator of choice” among our partners, to effectively access external science intelligence, and to exercise strategic influence in public health.
- Tools & Processes addresses the organizational systems and processes required to operationalize science goals.
The Voice of Science Hub
PHAC's Office of the Chief Science Officer (OCSO) supports the coordination and oversight of VoS initiatives through a Voice of Science (VoS) Hub, whose role is to facilitate internal consultation, to communicate progress, and to ensure cross-linkages across the Agency. The VoS Hub engages with stakeholders across the Agency and its partners, and supports the identification of priorities for next phases of VoS initiatives.
Contact Us
Want more information on the VoS initiative or to learn more on how you can get involved? Please contact the VoS Hub at VOS-VS@phac-aspc.gc.ca or consult our Q&A section.