Learning Health Systems Accelerator

The O’Brien Institute’s Learning Health System (LHS) Accelerator provides the tools needed for researchers and partners to advance the Learning Health System. Through funding, collaboration, capacity building and other supports, the Accelerator connects people to drive forward continuous learning and improvement in the health system. 

LHS Fall Forum

How the Accelerator supports Learning Health Systems work

The LHS Accelerator's activities are organized around three areas:

Funding and awards

Support research and innovation through funding, awards and other opportunities that help teams advance Learning Health Systems work.

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Collaboration

Create opportunities for researchers, health-system partners, patients, communities and decision-makers to connect, identify shared priorities and work together.

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Training and capacity building

Build LHS knowledge and skills through learning opportunities, training and other supports.

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Current opportunities and supports

Funding to help researchers get a new Learning Health Systems project off the ground.

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Money to help students travel and share their research at conferences.

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A group where people share ideas and learn from each other about Learning Health Systems.

More to come.

Regular meetups where people discuss recent research together.

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Real stories showing how this approach is improving health care.

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Coming soon!

Planned launches and upcoming sessions

Best Paper Award

The Best Paper Award will recognize outstanding publications that make a significant contribution to advancing Learning Health System knowledge or practice, with awards for trainees and principal investigators. 

Planned launch: late January or early February 2027.

Evidence Synthesis Consultations

These drop-in sessions will help researchers initiate and conduct high-quality evidence synthesis, including systematic and scoping reviews. Co-led by a medical librarian and evidence synthesis experts, the sessions will offer practical guidance and opportunities to discuss individual reviews.

Upcoming sessions: Dec. 3, 2026, and Jan. 7, 2027, from 12 to 1 p.m.

Patient and Family Advisor Bridge Funding

This funding will help researchers maintain patient and family advisory councils during gaps between external research funding, supporting continued patient and family involvement in research.

Planned launch: Winter 2027

LHS Incubator Award

The LHS Incubator Award will support early-career researchers and clinician-scientists in developing early-stage Learning Health System project ideas. Through access to research expertise, data resources and collaborative networks, the award will help researchers develop their ideas into feasible studies.

Planned launch: Winter 2027

Speaker Series

The LHS Speaker Series will bring together experts to share emerging evidence, innovations and real-world applications of Learning Health Systems.

The first session, "Connected Care: Incorporating evidence into clinical workflow," will feature Matthew James, Andrew McRae and Jocelyn Olsen.

Planned launch: Jan. 2027. Date to be confirmed.