Ontario SPOR Support Unit

What Ontario SPOR Support Unit does

Ontario SPOR Support Unit (OSSU) is a not-for-profit research support organization founded in 2013 and headquartered in Toronto's MaRS Centre. It serves as Ontario's provincial hub for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research's (CIHR) Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), coordinating a network of 14 Research Centres and 8 Research Initiatives distributed across Ontario's health research ecosystem. Its core function is providing infrastructure, methodological expertise, data platforms, training, and knowledge translation services to enable patient-oriented research, rather than producing commercial technology products.

OSSU delivers its services through a network model featuring specialized research centres including ICES (data access), the Applied Health Research Centre (clinical trials), Clinical Trials Ontario, the Knowledge Translation Program, and the Ontario Brain Institute, alongside initiatives focused on Indigenous health, Francophone communities, mental health, digital health, equity, and training. Funding programs include IMPACT Awards (17 demonstration projects), EMPOWER Awards, and the Partnership Capacity Building Fund. Training offerings include the Masterclass on Patient-Oriented Research, an 11-week Virtual Masterclass, a Nano Course on Learning Health Systems, and various webinars and resources. Key frameworks include the Fairness is Excellence Equity Framework and the Learning Health System Action Framework.

The organization's revenue model is grant-based rather than commercial. It is jointly funded by CIHR ($53.5M), the Government of Ontario ($58.2M), and partner Ontario hospital foundations, with a total funding commitment exceeding $100M. OSSU does not charge for its core services and operates as a public-sector intermediary. Its three primary customer segments are health researchers (accessing infrastructure and expertise), patients and caregivers (engaged as research partners), and policy-makers and healthcare providers (accessing evidence for decision-making). Governance includes a Board of Directors with patient representatives, led by Chair Dr. Lisa Dolovich, and an executive team headed by founding Executive Director Dr. Vasanthi Srinivasan and Scientific Lead Dr. Dean Fergusson.

Name

Ontario SPOR Support Unit

Legal name

Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit

Website

https://ossu.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ontario SPOR Support Unit is a non-profit research network jointly funded by the Canadian and Ontario governments and hospital foundations, coordinating 14 Research Centres and 8 Research Initiatives to support patient-oriented health research across Ontario.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Health Research Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Network Operators & SMOs (HLAGACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN)

Keywords

• Patient-oriented research
• Health research support
• Clinical trials infrastructure
• Knowledge translation services
• Research capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: OSSU is jointly funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Government of Ontario, and partner Ontario hospital foundations. The implementation of SPOR in Ontario is expected to cost more than $100 million, with the Government of Ontario contributing $58.2 million and CIHR contributing $53.5 million.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OSSU is a network organization that supports patient-oriented health research in Ontario by coordinating 14 Research Centres and 8 Research Initiatives that provide research expertise, data platforms, clinical trials support, knowledge translation, and patient engagement services. Funded jointly by CIHR, the Government of Ontario, and partner Ontario hospital foundations, it offers capacity-building programs, demonstration project funding, and stakeholder engagement resources to researchers, patients, policy-makers, and healthcare providers.

Product overview

Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit is a network organization comprising a Coordinating Centre located in Toronto, 14 Research Centres, and 8 Research Initiatives that collectively support patient-oriented research across Ontario. The organization provides research infrastructure, expertise, and services including: clinical trial support through the Applied Health Research Centre and Clinical Trials Ontario; data platforms and analytic services through ICES; knowledge translation through the Knowledge Translation Program; and patient engagement support through the Public and Patient Engagement Collaborative. Research funding is provided through IMPACT Awards and EMPOWER Awards for patient-oriented research projects. The organization also delivers training and capacity building through the Masterclass on Patient-Oriented Research, Nano Course, and a comprehensive Capacity Building Compendium. Key frameworks and resources include the Learning Health System Action Framework, Fairness is Excellence Equity Framework, and various patient engagement evaluation tools. The network is jointly funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Government of Ontario, and partner Ontario hospital foundations and institutes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IMPACT Awards Funding awards supporting patient-oriented research demonstration projects that are Innovative, Measurable, Patient-oriented, Appropriate, Collaborative, and Transformative, involving multiple OSSU Research Centres.
• EMPOWER Awards Funding awards supporting research teams to enhance end-of-grant knowledge mobilization activities for projects with active patient partner engagement.
• Partnership Capacity Building Fund (PCBF) Funding opportunity providing up to $2,500 to support compensation costs for patient partners advising doctoral and postdoctoral student research projects.
• Masterclass on Patient-Oriented Research Intensive 3-day course immersing researchers, patients, caregivers, policy-makers, and healthcare providers in the fundamentals of conducting and championing patient-oriented research.
• Virtual Masterclass on Patient-Oriented Research 11-week virtual course on the conduct and use of patient-oriented research in Ontario's health system.
• Nano Course on Learning Health Systems 90-minute virtual course on Learning Health Systems designed for policymakers, system leaders, professional leaders, citizen leaders, and researchers.
• Applied Health Research Centre (AHRC) Academic Research Organization at St. Michael's Hospital providing clinical study design, pragmatic methodology, biostatistics, and comprehensive clinical research services for multi-site trials and observational studies.
• ICES (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences) Data Platform Provides researchers with secure online access to Ontario's largest collection of health-related data, including linked health administrative and clinical data and analytic tools.
• Clinical Trials Ontario Organization strengthening and promoting Ontario's competitive advantages for conducting high-quality clinical trials, supporting ethical and quality standards.
• Knowledge Translation Program (KTP) Works with researchers to develop strategies to put knowledge into practice at clinical and policy levels, ensuring high-quality evidence reaches patients and healthcare providers.
• Public and Patient Engagement Collaborative (PPEC) Supports organizations and teams to engage patients, family caregivers, and community members in health research, system planning, and governance activities.
• Training and Capacity Building Initiative (TCDI) Supports building capacity across Ontario on the conduct and use of patient-oriented research through a compendium of training programs and the Masterclass on POR.
• Learning Health System Action Framework Framework describing how research and health care operations are linked to advance population health and health equity through a comprehensive Learning Health System approach.
• Fairness is Excellence Equity Framework Framework explaining principles and practices for promoting equity in patient-oriented research, available in English and French with Creative Commons licensing.
• Capacity Building Compendium Comprehensive catalogue of training courses on patient-oriented research offered in Ontario, containing entries for free online resources, seminars, and training programs.
• Patient Engagement Resource Centre Collection of resources including presentations on partnering with patients, evaluation tools, external patient-oriented tools, and training materials for research teams.
• AI and What it Means for You Webinar helping patient and caregiver partners understand how artificial intelligence is used in healthcare.
• Implementation Science Training Resources Virtual training resources for patients and caregivers to learn about implementation science and how to engage in implementation-focused projects.
• Learning Health System Cartoon Six-panel comic strip helping the public understand how continuous learning and improvement fit within health care and opportunities for engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,700 stakeholders trained through capacity building programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Alberta SPOR SUPPORT Unit: Alberta's provincial SPOR SUPPORT Unit, operating the same CIHR/SPOR-funded model of research centres, patient engagement, and capacity building. Directly comparable mandate, funding structure, and stakeholder mix to OSSU.
• Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research: Saskatchewan's SPOR-aligned centre supporting patient-oriented research methods, training, and engagement. Operates a smaller version of OSSU's provincial research support model.
• BC SUPPORT Unit (Michael Smith Health Research BC): British Columbia's SPOR SUPPORT Unit providing patient-oriented research infrastructure, methods support, and data platforms. Closely mirrors OSSU's network-of-centres model within another provincial health system.
• Maritime SPOR SUPPORT Unit: Maritime provinces' SPOR SUPPORT Unit delivering multi-provincial patient-oriented research support, methods consultation, and training across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and PEI.

Broad incumbents

• Ontario Health: Ontario's provincial health agency overseeing system planning, performance, and digital health. A broader incumbent that both consumes OSSU's research outputs and competes for policy-maker attention in Ontario.
• Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI): US-based independent nonprofit funder of comparative clinical effectiveness research with a national patient-engagement mandate. A larger-scale, pan-jurisdictional analogue to OSSU's patient-oriented research support role.
• National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR): UK government-funded organization that funds, enables, and delivers health and social care research, including patient and public involvement. Comparable breadth and mandate, with established national patient-engagement infrastructure.

Others

• ICES (Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences): Ontario's repository and analytic service for linked health administrative and clinical data, and one of OSSU's flagship research centres. Adjacent infrastructure provider enabling OSSU's data-driven research support.
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Federal funder of OSSU ($53.5M) and architect of Canada's SPOR. Acts as both upstream sponsor and ecosystem steward for the 11 SUPPORT Units, including OSSU.

Regional players

• Clinical Trials Ontario: Ontario-focused organization strengthening clinical trial capacity and quality. Operates as one of OSSU's 14 Research Centres but also functions as an Ontario-wide peer in trial support and stakeholder engagement.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OSSUtweets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ontario-spor-support-unit-ossu-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ontario SPOR Support Unit