What’s all the fuss about knowledge mobilization?

David Phipps, PhD, MBA

Executive Director, Research & Innovation Services

York University

“We must translate our research findings in the human sciences into public policy and social programs”

“Knowledge Transfer in the human sciences – the transfer of findings into policy and programs – is as important as technology transfer in the engineering and natural sciences.”

Maximize the Impact of Research: Martha Piper (2002)

KMb – what is it?

• Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) is a suite of services that supports collaborations between non-commercial research and expertise and the public, private and non-profit sectors.

• KMb (the process) can enable enhanced social innovation (the outcome).

• KMb is the university’s contribution to social innovation and allows partners from the public, private and non-profit sectors to leverage investments in university research.

KMb Stories

http://www.youtube.com/researchimpact#p/a/u/0/J15_lBz5mYU

Green Economy Centre

South Simcoe: Green Economy Centre

The Green Economy Centre: an innovative research and education program that initiates, supports and facilitates green economic best practices, ensuring that the rural South Simcoe economy is healthy and sustainable.

http://www.nottawasaga.com/get

South Simcoe: Green Economy Centre

Launched: April 2010

Funded: Summer 2010

September 2011:

•604 business contacted

•507 individual visits

•39% interest in Green Economy programs

•8 loans (total +$1M), 0% interest approved for green projects creating 18 jobs and maintaining 221 jobs

+

Toronto Hot Weather Response Plan

http://www.thestar.com/article/462613

Toronto Hot Weather Response Plan

Youth Emergency Shelter - Peterborough

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKW8SJOylnw

Youth Emergency Shelter - Peterborough

Challenges

• Structural budget deficit

• Revolving door

Impacts

• Social work students get better training experience

• YES gets better trained employees

• Clients reduce length of stay

• Generate revenue stream

• MTCU funding $60K

• 4 publications, PhD prize book in progress

Social enterprise

York

KM

b U

nit

KMb Tools: ResearchSnapshot

York’s KMb Unit February 2006 - June 2013

# Faculty Involved 289# Graduate Students Involved 153# Information sessions for faculty and students 201# Information sessions for community 222# collaboration opportunities 392#KMb projects 155# agencies involved in KMb partnerships 231#KMb Internships 41Community Partner funding raised $1.1MResearch Contract funding raised $1.2MTotal KMb associated grant funding raised $33.6M

What can you do if you don’t have a KMb Unit?

Partnerships for KM throughout the Research Cycle

Evaluate

Plan

ExecuteDisseminate

ConsultationPartnershipsResearch forum

PopulationsClinical practiceIntervention studiesInternshipsResearcher exchange

Surveys, case studies, expert panelists

Wikis, blogsWeb siteTown hallTheatrePostersPolicy brief PSAPractice guidelinePopular pressSocial Marketing

public policy

professional practice

KMb tools

Integrated Knowledge Mobilization: how to support collaborations for co-productionhttp://pi.library.yorku.ca/dspace/bitstream/handle/10315/10236/Phipps%20SRC%20Field%20Note%202011.pdf?sequence=1End of project knowledge mobilization: dissemination for non-academic audiencesKT Planning template: • http://melaniebarwick.com/document/Scientist_Knowledge_Translation_Plan_Tem

plate_Sept%2020_2011_Fillable_Form.docClear Language Research Summaries:• http://srconline.ca/index.php/src/article/viewFile/44/119Social Media:• http://bit.ly/SUGzYu• A guide to using Twitter in university research, teaching, and impact activities

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2011/09/29/twitter-guide/

KMb for SSHRC Insight GrantsDissemination Integrated

Academic Audience

Traditional scholarly publication and creative production

End of grant workshop or conference Academic conference presentation Web posting of research outputs, posting

video of choreography

ROs can support the development of traditional scholarly dissemination strategies.

Academic collaborators on grant Scholarly workshops throughout the grant Hosting a wiki or blog to create two-way

conversation with other academics to discuss emerging findings

Workshop with peers to reflect on emerging research findings

ROs can support the integration of academic audiences throughout the research project.

Non-academic Audience

Clear language research summary (see service offered by KMb Unit)

Theatre and other non-traditional formsof research dissemination

Social media

York’s KMb Unit has distributed a worksheet to for ROs to use to help faculty disseminate to non-academic audiences at the end of the grant.

Non-academic collaborators or co-applicants on grant application

Workshop, town hall, open house Hosting a wiki or blog to create 2 way

conversation with non-academics to discuss emerging findings

Audit and feedback using panel of non-academic stakeholders within the grant period

Participatory action/community based research

Please contact Michael Johnny (mjohnny@yorku.ca) for support developing integrated KMb strategies Note 1.

Note 1: Integrated KMb takes time.

“Requests to broker relationships with new collaborators will need 4-6 months to find potential partners, develop trust, mutually develop a statement of work and develop an appropriate budget. If non-academic audiences, partners and collaborators are already known, please contact Michael Johnny for support to develop integrated KMb with non-academic audiences by September 15 at the latest. Support for non-academic integrated KMb will be available from the KMb Unit throughout the funded grant period and Michael Johnny will develop an in kind costing for that support.”

Oh yeah…

Training for KMb

SickKids Hospital: Scientist Knowledge Translation Training

• http://www.sickkids.ca/Learning/AbouttheInstitute/Programs/Knowledge-Translation/Scientist-Knowledge-Translation-Training-Workshop/Scientist-Knowledge-Tranlation-Training-Workshop.html

SickKids Hospital: Knowledge Transfer Professional Certificate

• http://www.sickkids.ca/Learning/AbouttheInstitute/Programs/Knowledge-Translation/Knowledge-Translation-Professional-Certificate/Knowledge-Translation-Professional-Certificate.html

Canadian Knowledge Mobilization Forum, June 19-20, Ottawa

• http://www.kmbforum2012.org/

Knowledge Mobilization - Lessons Learning

Combination of producer push & user pull = exchange & co-productionKnowledge broker is core to institutional capacityKMb enables social innovationImpact takes timeIt’s not rocket science (or is it?)

So what? KMb in their own words…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmIWbsMO93w&list=FLkz8O0mnDbgER4aZPoWAheQ&index=1&feature=plpp_video

David Phippsdphipps@yorku.cahttp://www.researchimpact.ca