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Over the past decade, there has been an increase in the number of PhDs pursuing careers at the boundaries between academic and non-academic sectors, particularly with multiple transitions and dual appointments. However, the professional links that PhD holders pursuing non-academic careers maintain with academia and how these relate to different knowledge brokering activities across sectors remain unexplored. To fill this gap, 39 PhD holders working beyond academia in Spain in the fields of Social Sciences, Humanities, and STEM were interviewed. The results revealed that PhD holders navigate diverse professional links with academia, including both organisational and individual-based links, and are involved in a variety of knowledge brokering activities gathered in four distinct qualitative profiles: the professional co-creator, the valuable knowledge holder, the bridge builder, and the knowledgeable associate lecturer. The profiles highlighted a complex relationship with academia, suggesting that in some cases deploying academic links does not secure or explain brokering activities. Moreover, results underscore the influence of career factors such as the organisational culture and support, the research performance in their primary job position, and the disciplinary background. Several research and practical implications of the study are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of equity is a cornerstone of progress across diverse fields. Emerging literature across several fields has begun to focus on how knowledge brokers can take an equity-centered approach. This narrative synthesis draws upon that literature to explore what it means to be an equity-centered knowledge broker and to consider the challenges and possibilities inherent in that role. It identifies critical equity issues/dimensions vis-à-vis five main brokering strategies. From this review, the strategy facilitating relationships emerges as a first-order strategy for equity-centered brokers, with impacts stretching into all other areas. Therefore, equity-centered brokers should attend heavily to developing authentic, trusting relationships, value diversity, and elevate multiple forms of knowledge. This article also highlights some challenges and ongoing tensions relevant to equity-centered brokering. Relational, equity-centered knowledge brokering is time- and resource-intensive. Likewise, ongoing debates center on the merit of assuming a neutral brokering posture. Overall, it is hoped this article will benefit knowledge brokers, those with whom they partner, and those scholars who seek to understand and support them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the World Bank, the two largest global actors in the education sector, in their capacity as knowledge brokers. For these actors, positioning themselves between research and policy and circulating their versions of evidence has become a popular governance instrument to amplify their impact at the national level. To compare the strategies and targets of the OECD and the World Bank, we analyze three publication series: the OECD's Education Policy Outlook and Reviews of National Policies for Education and the World Bank's Systems Approach for Better Education reports. The results reveal significant differences between the OECD's and the World Bank's approaches to producing evidence and brokering knowledge. We interpret the differences against the backdrop of the idiosyncrasies of the two organizations: The World Bank sees itself as a transnational actor, and its knowledge production and brokerage are highly decontextualized transcending national experiences. By contrast, the OECD is an intergovernmental organization that views itself as a facilitator of cross-national peer exchange. Situating the findings within the broader framework of the global–national nexus, we argue that the World Bank's approach promotes vertical policy learning, while the OECD's approach pursues horizontal policy learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS) can foster agroecological transitions. However, knowledge on how extension services influence such systems is still lacking. The manuscript analyzes ICLS advisors' perceptions of the conditions toward recoupling crops and livestock at the farm level. Methodology/Approach: We conducted and analyzed 20 semi-structured interviews with advisors and project managers currently working with ICLS in Brazil and France. Findings: The results revealed the following advisors' activities undertaken to support recoupling crop and livestock systems: i) gathering ICLS knowledge by building a network as a knowledge source, along with mobilizing and combining tools and skills, ii) communicating and facilitating arrangements between farmers and farmers´ groups, iii) supporting ICLS co-design by assisting farmers in setting goals and plans, and iv) assisting on-farm transitions by supporting implementation and monitoring. Practical implications: This research highlights the key role of advisors in the transition toward the recoupling of crops and livestock at the farm level. ICLS advising could be improved and simplified with better-adapted tools, training to acquire knowledge, and skills specific to the ICLS context. Theoretical implications: Systemic thinking, facilitation, communication, and mobilizing a broad network to exchange knowledge are key requirements for advising complex systems such as ICLS. This is a typical case of a 'knowledge brokering' approach in which advisors engage in systemic facilitation to encourage innovation adoption. Originality: Our analysis provides promising insights into the specific advisor experiences in the transition towards adopting agroecological approaches, such as ICLS. This research opens avenues for future research to encourage ICLS adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pursuit of equity is a cornerstone of progress across diverse fields. Emerging literature across several fields has begun to focus on how knowledge brokers can take an equity-centered approach. This narrative synthesis draws upon that literature to explore what it means to be an equity-centered knowledge broker and to consider the challenges and possibilities inherent in that role. It identifies critical equity issues/dimensions vis-à-vis five main brokering strategies. From this review, the strategy facilitating relationships emerges as a first-order strategy for equity-centered brokers, with impacts stretching into all other areas. Therefore, equity-centered brokers should attend heavily to developing authentic, trusting relationships, value diversity, and elevate multiple forms of knowledge. This article also highlights some challenges and ongoing tensions relevant to equity-centered brokering. Relational, equity-centered knowledge brokering is time- and resource-intensive. Likewise, ongoing debates center on the merit of assuming a neutral brokering posture. Overall, it is hoped this article will benefit knowledge brokers, those with whom they partner, and those scholars who seek to understand and support them.

Researchers engaged in the study of the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of genetics and genomics are often publicly funded and intend their work to be in the public interest. These features of U.S. ELSI research create an imperative for these scholars to demonstrate the public utility of their work and the expectation that they engage in research that has potential to inform policy or practice outcomes. In support of the fulfillment of this "translational mandate," the Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis (CERA), funded by the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), aims to facilitate community-informed, ELSI research results synthesis and dissemination. However, little is known about how ELSI research scholars define the goals of translation and imagine the intended users of their research findings. We distributed a Qualtrics survey to ELSI scholars that aimed to determine: (1) researchers' expectations for their research findings in relation to policy or practice outcomes, (2) the stakeholder groups researchers believe could benefit from their research findings, and (3) the methods researchers use to foster the uptake of their findings by those stakeholders. Most ELSI researchers surveyed thought there were stakeholders that could benefit from their research findings, including health care professionals, at-risk individuals, patients, and their family members, policy-makers, and researchers/scientists, and expected their research findings to inform the creation or revision of laws, policies, or practice guidelines. Most researchers planned to disseminate findings directly to relevant stakeholders, with fewer expecting dissemination support from research funders, universities, or other entities. The broad range of research topics, disciplines, and set of potential end users represented in ELSI reseach complicate the work of a knowledge broker. Nonetheless, the CERA can play an important role in disseminating ELSI results to relevant stakeholders. Further research should explore outreach mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Ireland as elsewhere, the value of putting evidence and scientific advice at the centre of public policy-making, has rarely been more evident. The prominence of the science-policy interface has renewed interest in the prospects for evidence based policy (EBP) in education. Notwithstanding the political rhetoric around EBP in education, little is known about the nature and extent of research use in Irish education policy. This paper reports results from a survey of educational researchers in Ireland (n = 69) which involved them completing a survey based on a reliable measure of research utilisation. Results show a poor record in the reported uptake of educational research by policy-makers. Twenty-two independent variables were identified and tested for their association with reported levels of research use. Results indicate that eleven variables have a statistically significant correlation with research utilisation. Regression analysis indicates that four variables can significantly predict variance in the dependent variable (research utilisation) they are, researcher-policymaker collaboration; institutional affiliation of researcher; policy orientation of researcher; and researcher reputation (Adjusted R2 =.545, p <.001). Findings lend empirical support to the argument that many educational researchers in Ireland struggle to influence central policy and offers some explanatory insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture and food systems research and international development work will not proceed at the necessary speed without clear attention to the role of knowledge brokers within science-policy-practice interfaces. For research to be taken up and incorporated in policy frameworks, knowledge brokering is essential. Scaling of research for development findings will happen through other impact pathways as well, such as development of business models with the private sector, but development and implementation of robust and coherent policies informed by credible evidence is necessary for institutionalizing the work of agriculture and food systems research. Such policies are needed at multiple levels, and knowledge brokers are needed at these different levels as well. Examples of the importance of knowledge brokers in agricultural research for development from the livestock sector and its interaction with the climate change arena are used to illustrate this call for more attention to knowledge brokering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Education Policy & Leadership is the property of International Journal of Education Policy & Leadership (Center for Education Policy) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Agriculture and food systems research and international development work will not proceed at the necessary speed without clear attention to the role of knowledge brokers within science-policy-practice interfaces. For research to be taken up and incorporated in policy frameworks, knowledge brokering is essential. Scaling of research for development findings will happen through other impact pathways as well, such as development of business models with the private sector, but development and implementation of robust and coherent policies informed by credible evidence is necessary for institutionalizing the work of agriculture and food systems research. Such policies are needed at multiple levels, and knowledge brokers are needed at these different levels as well. Examples of the importance of knowledge brokers in agricultural research for development from the livestock sector and its interaction with the climate change arena are used to illustrate this call for more attention to knowledge brokering.

Knowledge-brokering organisations (KBOs) have multiplied in the evidence–policy landscape worldwide, changing how decision-makers are accessing evidence. Yet, we still know little about their emergence and roles. This research helps to understand KBOs and their place in evidence-based policymaking by highlighting the varied work that they do, the relationships they cultivate with policymakers, the complex knowledge-brokering processes they negotiate, and how they establish their credibility in different ways. We build on boundary organisation theory and the concept of policy entrepreneur (PE) (drawn from the multiple streams analysis) to develop a better understanding of KBOs who play multiple roles. By using the PE concept, we bring a greater focus on the politics of brokering. This duality involves them in seeking to provide 'objective' evidence while simultaneously determining what counts as evidence for policy and making recommendations for political decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock production is affected by climate change, but also contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas emissions. This leads to ambiguity in how livestock are framed in climate and development policy processes. We use the Multiple Streams Framework (MSF) to investigate the role of knowledge brokers in Kenyan livestock and climate change policy processes. We analyse how knowledge brokers deal with ambiguity from different problem and response framings within science-policy interfaces using the case of a project that seeks to inform Kenyan policies relevant to livestock and climate change. We identify ambiguity within the problem stream where actors recognise adaptation and mitigation as dual challenges of livestock and climate change. This ambiguity creates tension between actors but can be strategically deployed to help match the problem and policy streams. Actors use the terms 'climate smart' and 'co-benefits' to link the dual adaptation and mitigation needs. In the political stream, nationally defined priorities and external funding possibilities influence the political will and motivation to adopt identified response options. There are opportunities for knowledge brokers to address the ambiguities and translate knowledge during windows of opportunity when the streams are being coupled, but challenges exist, resulting in slow and inadequate development of policies. This paper makes two contributions to the MSF literature. First, we further refine the concept of knowledge brokers and establish their role across all three streams. Second, we apply the MSF in a lower income country and demonstrate that international organizations must be among the actors considered. • Ambiguity surrounds livestock; they are affected by and contribute to climate change. • Knowledge brokers in Kenya frame issues, offer solutions and influence politics. • International actors shape problem framing and solutions around livestock in Kenya. • The MSF needs to be adapted to apply in developing country contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life sciences uses the Latin name Homo sapiens to describe humans, an animal species. First, we discuss how "popular beliefs" about the brain have inhibited the progress of life science applications in the field of selling. Subsequently, we present the Tinbergen's evolutionary perspective of life sciences and use "ultimate" and "proximate" explanations to understand the salesperson's main goal of becoming a knowledge broker. First, an ultimate explanation describes how the Homo sapiens evolved to acquire a big brain through natural selection processes, which led to the emergence of multiple cultures. This evoked a runaway selection of genes affecting brain functioning called "cultural drive hypothesis." The big brain shapes people's goal orientation and leads to better cooperation and exact copying of knowledge. Both are constitutive for the exponential emergence of innovations within and across cultures through multiple generations. Second, the proximate view explains how, for example, neural-endocrine mechanisms modulate knowledge brokering. We explore five hard-wired processes associated with a salesperson's skill in knowledge brokering, applying factual insights obtained from neuroscience, endocrinology, and genetics. Finally, we outline different strategies that researchers who seek to make new contributions to the field can undertake in doing research on selling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Process improvement in healthcare is informed by knowledge from the private sector. Skilled individuals may aid the adoption of this knowledge by frontline care delivery workers through knowledge brokering. However, the effectiveness of those who broker knowledge is limited when the context they work within proves unreceptive to their efforts. We therefore need greater insight into the contextual conditions that support individuals to broker process improvement knowledge to the frontline of care delivery, and how policy makers and organizations might generate such conditions. Methods Our research took place in a healthcare system within an Australian State. We undertook a qualitative, embedded single case study over the four year period of a process improvement intervention encompassing 57 semi-structured interviews (with knowledge brokers, policy makers, and executive sponsors), 12 focus groups, and 137 h of observation, which included the frontline implementation of actual process improvement initiatives, where knowledge brokering took place. Results We identified four phases of the process improvement intervention that moved towards a more mature collaboration within which knowledge brokering by improvement advisors began to emerge as effective. In the first phase knowledge brokering was not established. In the second phase, whilst knowledge brokering had been initiated, the knowledge being brokered lacked legitimacy amongst frontline practitioners, resulting in resistance. Only in the fourth and final phase of the intervention did the collective experience of policy makers result in reflections on how they might engender a more receptive context for knowledge brokering. Conclusion We highlight a number of suggested actions that policy makers might consider, if they wish to engender contextual conditions that support knowledge brokering. Policy makers might consider: ensuring they respect local context and experience, by pulling good ideas upward, rather than imposing foreign knowledge from on high; facilitating the lateral diffusion of knowledge by building cultural linkages between people and organizations; strengthening collaboration, not competition, so that trans-organisational flow of ideas might be encouraged; being friend, not foe, to healthcare organizations on their knowledge integration journey. In sum, we suggest that top-down approaches to facilitating the diffusion and adoption of new ideas ought to be reconsidered.

Deltas are areas where pressures (e.g. climate change, rapid urbanization, water related shocks and stressors) as well as opportunities (e.g. economic growth, delta-city metabolism, sustainable development) collide to an unprecedented extent. The deltas are considered to become the most vital and critical hotspots in the world for sustainable development. Consequently, immediate acceleration in hands-on knowledge partnerships is required for sustainable low-carbon emission and resilient investments in delta areas. The mission of the Delta Alliance is to improve the resilience of the deltas in the world through knowledge sharing and capacity building. In this paper we elaborate on the various roles that the Delta Alliance has played and how this has been of significance for other developing delta regions in the world. Some of the successes and lessons learned are highlighted, with a particular focus on the African deltas. We argue that increasing investments in knowledge sharing and capacity building among - and with - those working in the deltas for creating equitable and trusted partnerships are a necessary condition for an integrated approach to the challenges in the deltas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction: Knowledge translation experts advocate for employing knowledge brokers (KBs) to promote the uptake of research evidence in health care settings. Yet, no previous research has identified potential barriers for KBs to promote the uptake of research evidence in rehabilitation settings. This study aimed to identify the barriers and facilitators for KBs in Canadian rehabilitation settings as perceived by individuals serving as KBs. Methods: Qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews with individuals performing KB activities in rehabilitation settings across Canada. The interview topic guide was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and consisted of 20 questions covering three domains (characteristics of individuals, inner setting, and outer settings). We conducted qualitative descriptive analysis combining deductive coding guided by the CFIR. Results: Characteristics of individuals included having communication skills, clinical experience, research skills, and interpersonal features, in addition to being confident and motivated and receiving training. The inner setting domain included having constant networking with stakeholders and being aware of stakeholders' needs, in addition to resources availability, leadership engagement, knowledge accessibility, prioritizing brokering activities, and monitoring KBs' performance. Finally, the outer setting domain showed that KBs need to be connected to a community of practice to promote information exchange and avoid work duplications. Discussion: Factors likely to hinder or promote the optimal use of KBs within Canadian rehabilitation settings include skill sets and networking abilities; organizational culture, resources, and leadership engagement; and the need for specific training for KBs and for evaluation tools to monitor their performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the context of establishing local land use plans in Berlin, which, guided by Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), have shown potential to implement climate adaptation solutions in the urban landscape. The case study aims to identify contextual factors that promote knowledge brokering (KB) and facilitate the inclusion of climate issues in decision-making processes. Based on personal interviews with open-ended questions and document analysis, the Narrative Interview method was employed to understand the relevant internal aspects of the frequent practice of local plans, as well as to observe the articulation of KB spaces. In this sense, we identified the main characteristics of this practice, highlighting the conditions necessary for KB, the complexity of the strategies employed and the relevance of the relationship between the use of information and mediation in promoting changes in decision-making. The results also indicate that both the formulation of local land use plans and the promotion of climate issues are highly stimulated by the adoption of mediation strategies. However, the practice in Berlin prefers to operate from less complex strategies, and the relevance of the climate issue is not fully understood by the interviewees. This situation, combined with the lack of clearer regulations, prevents the issue from being explored more widely. Furthermore, it has been revealed that the promotion of climate issues is surrounded by governance practices that operate through both bottom-up and top-down forces, and also depend on contextual factors such as decision-making regimes, involved stakeholders, the quality of planning guidelines, the effectiveness of SEA, and the level of public participation. These factors, in turn, are influenced by the phenomenon of knowledge mediation and promoted and strengthened through learning. Thus, the case reveals that addressing climate issues depends on aligning these factors and understanding their complexity. This study confirms the significant role of SEA and knowledge brokering in facilitating not only the addressing of climate issues, but also in promoting solutions based on more plural approaches that are better prepared to tackle complex challenges. • SEA-backed decision processes can serve as a knowledge mediation platform. • Knowledge brokering is a process that "shapes" and is "shaped" by the decision-making context. • Complex knowledge brokerage can ensure greater stakeholder involvement. • Berlin integrates climate adaptation using simpler mediation strategies. • Berlin's climate adaptation hinges on complex factors and unique case conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of research impact as a 'third' space (next to research and teaching) within the universities in the United Kingdom and beyond, academics are increasingly expected to not only produce research but also engage in brokering knowledge beyond academia. And yet little is known about the ways in which academics shape their practices in order to respond to these new forms of institutionalised expectations and make sense of knowledge brokering as a form of academic practice. Drawing on 51 qualitative interviews with researchers and research users involved in two large knowledge brokering initiatives in the UK, this study identifies four repertoires of co-production practices: (i) Challenge to the existing policy framework, (ii) Deliberation between diverse stakeholders, (iii) Evidence intervention producing of actionable knowledge, and (iv) Advocacy for specific evidence-based options. By exploring knowledge brokering as navigation of different knowledge production regimes – traditionally academic and policy-oriented – the paper contributes to the existing debates by providing insights into the nature of navigating science-policy interactions as a process of epistemological bricolage, requiring an assemblage of different meanings, values and practices into new repertoires of practice. Importantly, the choice of a repertoire is not limited to the individual choice of a researcher but rather, it is shaped by the broader institutional context of higher education, risking instrumental bias in which practices oriented towards practical solutions are incentivised over critical or participatory forms of engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Process improvement in healthcare is informed by knowledge from the private sector. Skilled individuals may aid the adoption of this knowledge by frontline care delivery workers through knowledge brokering. However, the effectiveness of those who broker knowledge is limited when the context they work within proves unreceptive to their efforts. We therefore need greater insight into the contextual conditions that support individuals to broker process improvement knowledge to the frontline of care delivery, and how policy makers and organizations might generate such conditions.Methods: Our research took place in a healthcare system within an Australian State. We undertook a qualitative, embedded single case study over the four year period of a process improvement intervention encompassing 57 semi-structured interviews (with knowledge brokers, policy makers, and executive sponsors), 12 focus groups, and 137 h of observation, which included the frontline implementation of actual process improvement initiatives, where knowledge brokering took place.Results: We identified four phases of the process improvement intervention that moved towards a more mature collaboration within which knowledge brokering by improvement advisors began to emerge as effective. In the first phase knowledge brokering was not established. In the second phase, whilst knowledge brokering had been initiated, the knowledge being brokered lacked legitimacy amongst frontline practitioners, resulting in resistance. Only in the fourth and final phase of the intervention did the collective experience of policy makers result in reflections on how they might engender a more receptive context for knowledge brokering.Conclusion: We highlight a number of suggested actions that policy makers might consider, if they wish to engender contextual conditions that support knowledge brokering. Policy makers might consider: ensuring they respect local context and experience, by pulling good ideas upward, rather than imposing foreign knowledge from on high; facilitating the lateral diffusion of knowledge by building cultural linkages between people and organizations; strengthening collaboration, not competition, so that trans-organisational flow of ideas might be encouraged; being friend, not foe, to healthcare organizations on their knowledge integration journey. In sum, we suggest that top-down approaches to facilitating the diffusion and adoption of new ideas ought to be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is a collective act of writing preoccupied with the future of education. Our perspectives are different but what we have in common is a wish to explore and contribute to educational innovation. Through knowledge brokering, we try to create openings toward expanded meaning fields nourishing valuable diversities of onto-epistemic cultures ultimately preparing students for fugitive futures. Our project is complex and pluriverse like any brokering process for Other and innovation might be. Both method and means however are simple: Through using the concept of oxymoron ing as a rhetorical and epigrammatic device for revealing paradox and through this taking part in polysemantic ambiguity, new concepts, knowledges, and habits are possibilized. Through a montage of thoughts, theories, and stories, hopefully thinking for innovation is given a constant continuation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study examines the experiences of student leaders working in partnership with teacher leaders to implement Vermont’s Act 77, a state mandated personalized learning policy. Drawing on a theoretical framework that connects the zones of mediation and knowledge brokering research, this study explores the question: How do youth and adults experience youth leadership around the implementation of Vermont’s Act 77? Drawing on focus group data, interviews, and observations of youth leadership of personalized learning policy implementation across 18 high schools between 2014 and 2018, the study identifies the opportunities challenges of youth acting as knowledge brokers around state education policy in their schools. It concludes with implications for educational leaders and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The challenge of adapting to climate change is now increasingly urgent as climate impacts accelerate. Several existing frameworks are widely used to guide the complex process of identifying and addressing climate-health vulnerabilities, however, none of the most commonly used frameworks center translational communication in their recommended processes, and existing frameworks function with varied success in responsiveness to local conditions. We propose a new conceptual framework for climate-health communication that is place-responsive and centralizes the involvement of stakeholders from local communities in the process of understanding and communicating climate-health impacts. Co-design of materials and processes to translate climate change science extends from the first through to the final stage of this framework. The proposed framework responds to calls for better science translation and interdisciplinary collaborations to enhance climate-health literacy at every level in communities, in order to prepare for the health impacts of a changing climate, and the local adaptive responses required.

Abstract Background Collaborative working between academic institutions and those who provide health and social care has been identified as integral in order to produce acceptable, relevant, and timely research, and for outputs to be useful and practical to implement. The ExCHANGE Collaboration aims to bring together researchers and people working, living in and visiting care homes to build capacity, share and mobilise knowledge, and identify key areas for future research. This paper describes an embedded, formative, realist and theory-driven evaluation which aims to gather information about how successful the ExCHANGE Collaboration is perceived to be in achieving its aims. An existing realist programme theory from the literature – Closer Collaboration – will be supplemented by two substantive theories: Co-production and Knowledge Brokering. This will result in an initial programme theory which will be tested by this formative evaluation to refine understanding of how the ExCHANGE Collaboration works. Methods The evaluation will employ mixed qualitative methods, including: analysis of documents such as feedback forms, Knowledge Broker journal/diary, event attendance records, risk and issues logs and other relevant paperwork gathered as part of project delivery; observations of events/activities; and interviews with care home providers and staff, care home residents, residents’ family members, and researchers who are involved in the project (both project design/delivery, and also attendance or involvement in project activities/events). Framework Analysis will be used to interpret the data collected; analysis will be strategic, by focusing on particular key areas of importance in the developing theory of how the ExCHANGE Collaboration might achieve change. Results The results of this study are expected to be published in 2022. Discussion This evaluation will investigate how successful the ExCHANGE Collaboration is perceived to be in achieving its aims, in what way, in which contexts, and how this may differ for those involved. It will do this by testing an initial programme theory about how the collaboration works, for whom, under which circumstances, and in what way. Findings will be shared through written publication, an end of project learning event for those involved/interested in the project, and a lay summary to be made publically available.

The National Collaborating Centres (NCCs) for Public Health (NCCPH) were established in 2005 as part of the federal government’s commitment to renew and strengthen public health following the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic. They were set up to support knowledge translation for more timely use of scientific research and other knowledges in public health practice, programs and policies in Canada. Six centres comprise the NCCPH, including the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID). The NCCID works with public health practitioners to find, understand and use research and evidence on infectious diseases and related determinants of health. The NCCID has a mandate to forge connections between those who generate and those who use infectious diseases knowledge. As the first article in a series on the NCCPH, we describe our role in knowledge brokering and the numerous methods and products that we have developed. In addition, we illustrate how NCCID has been able to work with public health to generate and share knowledge during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Abstract Background Co-production of research evidence is valued by local government to improve effective decision-making about public services in times of austerity. However, underlying structural issues of power (so-called ‘dark shadows of co-production’) challenge this ambition with limited evidence on how to embed research use sustainably. In this paper we reflect on mechanisms for increasing co-production in local government. Methods This paper presents findings from a Health Foundation funded research project that explored how a culture of evidence use to improve population health could be embedded in UK local government. Five linked work packages were undertaken using mixed methods. In this paper, we report the views of UK local authority staff who participated in four workshops (n = 54), informed by a rapid literature review and an online scoping survey. Results We identified five themes that facilitate public health evidence use in local government: (1) new governance arrangements to integrate national and local policies, (2) codifying research evidence through local system-wide approaches and (3) ongoing evaluation of programmes, and (4) overcoming political and cultural barriers by increasing absorptive capacity of Local Authorities to embed co-produced knowledge in their cognitive structures. This requires adaptive governance through relationship building between academic researchers and Local Authority staff and shared understanding of fragmented local policy making, which are supported by (5) collective spaces for reflection within local government. Conclusions Creating collective spaces for reflection in between government departments allows for iterative, interactive processes of co-production with external partners that support emergence of new governance structures to socially action the co-produced knowledge in context and build capacity for sustained evidence use.

Knowledge exchange, also called knowledge translation, mobilization, or transfer, increasingly factors in university strategic plans and funding agency mandates. The growing emphasis on research that includes community engagement and making research knowledge more accessible and useful for nonacademic constituents often brings in knowledge brokers, whose activities promote sharing of research knowledge among different actors. In this article, we consider how librarians and adult literacy educators engage in this work as professionals uniquely positioned to advance knowledge exchange initiatives. Three initiatives in British Columbia, Canada, involve academic librarians and adult literacy educators engaging in knowledge exchange work in transformative ways. We describe how they are reconfiguring knowledge making, sharing, and use with constituents and bridging nonacademic and university communities. This approach disrupts traditional notions of who produces and consumes knowledge and who is an expert while acknowledging how place-based approaches are essential for advancing knowledge exchange initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Polar Geography is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rationale: Knowledge brokers (KBs) can help promote the uptake of the latest research evidence into clinical practice. Little is known about who they are, the types of roles they perform, and the training they receive. Establishing a portrait of Canadian KBs working in the rehabilitation sector may inform health care organizations and knowledge translation specialists on how best to advance KBs practices. The overall goal was to describe the profile of KBs working to promote the uptake of evidence within rehabilitation settings in Canada. Specifically, this study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and professional characteristics, work activities, and training of KBs. Methods: A cross‐sectional online survey was administered to KBs working in rehabilitation settings across Canada. The survey included 20 questions covering sociodemographic and professional characteristics, work activities, and training opportunities. Response frequency and percentage were calculated for all categorical variables, and the weighted average (WA) for each role was calculated across participants. Descriptive analysis was conducted for all open‐ended questions. Results: Of 475 participants accessing the website, 198 completed the survey questionnaire, including 99 clinicians, 35 researchers, and 26 managers. While over two‐thirds of respondents had completed a graduate degree, only 38% reported receiving KBs‐related training. The respondents' primary roles corresponded to a linking agent (WA = 1.84), followed by capacity builder (WA = 1.76), information manager (WA = 1.71), facilitator (WA = 1.41), and evaluator (WA = 1.32). Conclusions: KBs are mostly expert clinicians who tend to perform brokering activities part‐time targeting their peers. Participants mostly perform the linking agent, capacity builder, and information roles. Moreover, only a few participants received formal training to perform brokering activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of knowledge brokering in education--aiming to better connect research to practice--is currently emerging. Evidence of a community dissonance between researchers and practitioners in education suggests that models of knowledge brokering that consider the perspectives and priorities of both groups are required. It is also a priority to identify what kinds of knowledge brokering products such as research summaries are successful at communicating research to teachers, potentially functioning as boundary objects. We report findings from a comparative judgement study where a group of 28 mathematics teachers and a group of 19 mathematics education researchers ranked twenty research summaries, from different sources, in terms of their success at communicating the research to teachers, and explained which features contributed to this ranking. Overall the findings suggest moderate consensus both within and between the two groups, and some important areas of difference. Both groups agreed that graphic design was the most important element of a research summary; that being summarised, having implications for practice and being easy to read or accessible and well-structured were key features of a research summary; and that the length of the research summary or the time it might take to read were also important. Whereas teachers mentioned the choice of topic of the research summary and to some extent language more than researchers, researchers highlighted some other features of successful research summaries for them that teachers did not: ideas around methodology and use of evidence, opportunities for critical reflection, and issues of trust and credibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Connecting research to practice by knowledge brokering in education, which is considered here as functionally synonymous with knowledge mobilisation, is currently under-researched, difficult to define, and not well understood. This narrative synthesis review curates recent research concerning characterisations of knowledge brokering in education, considering the models and metaphors that have been used to describe and prescribe its activities, and then goes on to consider the limited evidence on effective knowledge brokering and what this suggests about possibilities for its evaluation in education contexts, which is considered necessary and urgent. Interpersonal relationships and social contexts are considered key to educational knowledge brokering, which has also been described as transforming knowledge, often by mediation, boundary-spanning, and/or bridging. It is suggested that those doing the work of knowledge brokering (knowledge brokers) should have a deep understanding of the context and terrain of both research and practice (and perhaps policy) in education. A need is proposed for theoretical and empirical work to define the purposes and pitfalls of educational knowledge brokering in practice, related to issues of trust and credibility, and to enable evaluation and accountability to take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]