Continually striving for excellence, the IRSST supports scholarship and grant programs that promote the transfer of knowledge to workplaces and the training of a new generation of researchers. Michel Asselin, Director of the Fund and Research Partnerships, tells us about his influence.
The IRSST is the only research center in Quebec that is entirely dedicated to scientific development and the sharing of knowledge in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS). Created in 1980 following the adoption of the Act respecting occupational health and safety and the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases, the organization’s mission is to contribute to health and safety Quebec workers. It stands out for the quality of its research and its laboratory analysis and testing services, as well as its dissemination and knowledge transfer strategies with a view to sustainable prevention and return to work.
The IRSST is recognized nationally and internationally for the excellence, credibility and relevance of its work. “The Institute relies on four scientific pillars, all of which have their own vocation: the fund and research partnership department, the research department, the laboratory department and the communications, monitoring and mobilization of knowledge,” explains Michel Asselin. The team of approximately 150 people relies on a scientific brigade of experts, technicians and researchers working in various disciplines such as ergonomics, industrial hygiene, chemistry, physics, biology, microbiology, kinanthropology, engineering, sociology, anthropology, demography, psychology and economics. “We are a two-headed organization,” he continues. The Institute acts as a grant fund, but we also carry out research ourselves, all to provide workers with healthier and safer environments. »
He adds that collaboration and sharing of resources with organizations involved in the field of OHS increase the IRSST’s ability to explore new avenues, broaden the scope of its work and maximize its potential spinoffs.
Promote the mobilization and construction of knowledge
The IRSST focuses most of its scientific and technical activities on risk prevention and sustainable return to work. In each of these areas, the Institute seeks to achieve a critical mass of knowledge in order to generate concrete and significant spinoffs. “One of our strengths lies in the fact that our research teams are very familiar with the needs of workplaces and know where it is necessary to promote the development of knowledge”, specifies the Director of the Fund and Research Partnerships.
This is how the Institute finances, through various subsidy programs, the projects of researchers attached to universities or scientific organisations. These programs aim to support the advancement of knowledge and interest in research, the optimization of practical spinoffs in the workplace, the dissemination and transfer of knowledge, as well as the training of students wishing to carry out research projects on innovation or the resolution of emerging issues.
Research funded by the IRSST must lead to possible solutions or recommendations to improve accident prevention and support the rehabilitation and return to work of those who have suffered occupational injuries. “Most grant applicants are researchers from Quebec universities, whom we consider to be our partners,” comments Michel Asselin. More than 200 researchers regularly benefit from our grants and all universities in Quebec are represented. The IRSST develops and maintains OHS research partnerships with several Quebec postsecondary education or research institutions, as well as various public and private organizations. »
The IRSST’s Research Funds and Partnerships Department also receives proposals for the purpose of developing collaborations and co-funding OHS research initiatives. “In addition, over the next few years we want to develop lasting ties with the industrial research sector,” remarks Michel Asselin. While maintaining an occupational health and safety perspective, we want to establish partnerships in R&D and innovation to promote economic development initiatives. »
Ensuring succession with scholarships
Beyond the support it provides to established researchers, the Institute is also a major player in the training of the next generation of scientists. In fact, the IRSST also offers a comprehensive program of graduate studies and postdoctoral training that contributes to the development of researchers capable of meeting current and emerging needs in OHS. These scholarships are intended for master’s, doctoral or post-doctoral candidates whose research work relates specifically to the prevention of industrial accidents and occupational diseases or to the rehabilitation of workers who are victims of them.
Since its inception, the program has supported hundreds of students from the 2e and 3e cycles or in postdoctoral training, who shared scholarships and research grants. “Our scholarship program was developed to ensure the next generation, because there were not enough OHS scientists in Quebec when the Institute was founded, explains Michel Asselin. Over the years, we have developed a real cohort of experts, and many ex-scholars are now part of our team or our network. We can therefore count on an average of 35 scholarship recipients per year. »
Michel Asselin adds that the IRSST has also developed a funding partnership with the Fonds de recherche du Québec (FRQ) as part of its Research Fellow Junior 1 program, which allows researchers and institutional professors to benefit from scholarships to devote himself entirely to research. “Thanks to this collaboration, the IRSST can broaden its offer and consolidate OHS researchers in university circles. »
Deeply committed to prevention for workers, the IRSST shines as much with the student community and its OHS partners as in the public arena. “Improving OHS conditions, preventing accidents and occupational diseases to allow people to be supported or to be able to return to work when they are victims of accidents or occupational diseases, this is a mission as noble as it is rewarding. concludes Michel Asselin.
For information: irsst.qc.ca
In the spirit of the Act respecting occupational health and safety (LSST) and the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases (LATMP), the IRSST’s mission is to contribute to the health and safety of workers through research, the expertise of its laboratories, as well as the dissemination and transfer of knowledge, with a view to prevention and a sustainable return to work.
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