Eastern Ontario's rural communities face a growing number of economic development challenges.  To help address these issues, graduate students from The Monieson Centre are producing a series of Knowledge Syntheses.  These 2-5 page papers provide the best information from academic and government sources, in a concise, user-friendly format.  The goal of these syntheses is to put knowledge into the hands of the community.  In total, at least 18 knowledge syntheses will be produced over the life of the 3-year project.

Knowledge syntheses are now available on the following topics (click here for a list of the top research questions in Eastern Ontario):

• Attracting Immigrants to Rural Communities
  
• Community Asset Inventories
  
• Community Branding
  
• Community Collaboration
  
• Creating a Vibrant Downtown
  
• Creating Value-Added Products from Natural Resources
  
• Economic Development Part I: Basic Principles of Community Economic Development 
• Economic Development Part II: Community Innovation Planning 
• Entrepreneurship
  
• Physician Attraction
  
• Promoting Skilled Trades in Rural Ontario
• Rural Investment Attraction
  
• Tourism Part I
  
• Tourism Part II
  
• Youth Engagement
• Youth Retention

Topics for these syntheses are determined through a structured process:

1. The KIS team is leading 15 Discovery Workshops to confirm the most pressing rural economic development issues and research questions for each of the Eastern Ontario CFDCs (EO-CFDCs).  These workshops, facilitated by the Queen's Executive Decision Centre (QEDC), use brainstorming, facilitators, and meeting technologies to achieve faster and more accurate decision-making from group encounters.
2. The KIS team prioritizes the research questions identified in the Discovery Workshops based on: importance to the community, applicability across communities, and availability of quality research.  Feedback on research priorities was also taken from community representatives through a workshop at the 2009 KIS Showcase.   
3. Any specific information needs of individuals and organizations will be relayed by The Monieson Centre to the appropriate CFDCs so they can provide timely solutions, contacts and resources to those seeking answers.

The Monieson Centre graduate students are also available to present the knowledge syntheses at EO-CFDC meetings and at local business functions.