Under the terms of the agreement, the partners plan to:
- Share clinical and research science expertise, capacity building and access to industry
- Collaborate on digital innovation programmes
- Collaborate on staff and student exchange programmes
- Co-host symposia, conferences, seminars and other events
- Make joint applications for funding
Digital healthcare will be one of the first areas of focus. The group will support global research cooperation and work to attract greater international recognition for mental health research.
Professor John Geddes, Head of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, and Director of the Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, said:
'International collaboration is crucial for developing both research and clinical practice. Signing the Memorandum of Understanding with out partners in Canada will enable us to promote a culture of collaboration and data science in mental health and build new networks to meet the needs of 21st century mental health research. The benefits of this agreement will be shared across research organisations and healthcare providers not only in North America and Europe, but also globally.'
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the four organisations took place in March 2021.