workshop on impact of research for Iran AECER March 7, 2018

1. The potential for research impact
David Phipps, PhD. MBA, Executive Director,
Research & Innovation Services
@researchimpact

2. Time Activity
45 mins Research Impact – background/theory
30 mins Skills and Qualities of impact practitioners
15 mins Break
30 mins Impact Planning in grant applications
15 mins Your own plan for research impact
15 mins Report back
15 mins Q&A

3. Impact Snapshot
Pulse Crops
Professor Al Skinkard collaborated
with Agriculture Canada and local
farmers to develop Pulse Crops
(lentils, peas for crop rotation during
Canada’s wheat glut). His research
resulted in a 6-fold increase in the
value of crop yields and made
Saskatchewan the world’s leading
exporter of chickpeas and lentils with
an export market of $4.2B
THIS IS IMPACT

4. IS THIS IMPACT?

5. IS THIS IMPACT?

6. Using Evidence

7. Knowledge Mobilization
“community”
campus
campus
“community”
Impact
Knowledge mobilization helps make
research useful to society by supporting
engaged scholarship from inception to
impact

8. Impact Planning
(=KMb strategy)
HOW
Impact
Assessment
(=evaluation)
WHAT

9. Activity Output Outcome
Impact
Dissemination Uptake ImplementationCo-production

10. +
Toronto Hot Weather Response Plan
http://www.thestar.com/article/462613

11. Toronto Hot Weather Response Plan

12. Activity Output Outcome
Impact (?)
Dissemination Uptake ImplementationCo-production

13. Co-produced pathway to impact

14. Knowledge Mobilization
Communications

16. Partners have a key role to play not only in creating impact but in providing the
evidence of impact.
Researchers don’t always know when impact has occurred. Ask a researcher
but don’t stop there.

17. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrampSTZdeo

19. Competencies and
Qualities of Research
Impact Practitioners

21. 1. Identify and select frameworks:
• commercialization competency frameworks were excluded
focus on university based knowledge brokers
2. Collation and qualitative synthesis of frameworks  final
set
3. Survey
4. Analysis (underway)
5. Self Assessment Tool (to come)

22. 1. Identification and selection of frameworks
Melanie Barwick
Ed Stevens
Megan Harris
Anne Wales

23. 2. Collation and qualitative synthesis
94  80 competencies  11 categories
• Wording modified to produce discrete, action based
statements
• Ongoing iteration within team to:
− Agree categorisation
− Agree competency wording

24. 3. Final competency set
80 competencies in 11 categories
A. Change management
B. Communication
C. Creating, sourcing and synthesising (research) knowledge
D. Evaluating impact of KT
E. Facilitating and negotiating
F. Leading, managing and driving KT
G. Managing legal issues and IP
H. Managing partnerships/relationships
I. Networking and engaging stakeholders
J. Training and capacity building
K. Understanding, creating and using KT tools, products and practices
Bayley, J.E., Phipps, D., Batac, M. and Stevens, E. (2017) Development of a framework for knowledge
mobilisation and impact competencies. Published on line in Evidence and Policy

25. Sample

26. 49%
23%
18%
7%
3%
Organisation type
University
Non-academic
institution
Other
Academic research
hospital
Other academic
institution
‘Other’ includes independent consultants, non profit organisations, government departments and research
networks

27. 46%
34%
8%
5%
5%
2%
Country
Canada
UK
USA
Africa

28. 0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Frequency
Job function

29. 1. Internal communication skills
2. Developing and maintaining professional
relationships
3. Working in teams, communities and networks
4. Managing multiple conversations
5. External communication skills
6. Active listening
7. Organizational link: acting as a connection point to
your organisation
8. Facilitating sharing of knowledge
9. Partnership and relationship management skills
and processes
10.Reporting and presenting knowledge

30. 1. Intellectual property skills and management
2. Commercialization techniques: skills and
knowledge in commercializing research
3. Managing legal issues related to knowledge
translation
4. Licensing and patents
5. Conducting deals and decision making in legal
and commercial activities
6. Conducting valuations of
technologies/business/IP
7. Setting up or supporting spin off / start-up
businesses

31. 1. Broad partnership and
communication skills crucial
2. Commercial and legal skills are
niche; highly relevant only for those
whose role focuses on this.
3. Very broad range of organisations,
job types, job functions, job titles:
‘One size does not fit all’
4. Internationally relevant
5. Competencies appear to split
between: 1) Core [needed by all
working in KMb space]; 2)
Specialised [highly focused expertise
in specific areas]

32. Phipps, D.J. and Morton S. (2013) Skills and qualities of knowledge
brokers: reflections from practice. Evidence & Policy. 9(2): 255-65
Nimble, fleet footed (Mercury)
Enthusiastic (cheerleader)
Creative (artist)
Communicator, supporter (therapist)
Courage (tight rope walker)
Tact, negotiation (scales of justice)
Tireless commitment (athlete)
What does a knowledge broker look like?

36. How do you get to impact?

37. Planning for impact

38. How to make $57M
1. Partners/Audiences
a) Stakeholder engagement
b) Co production partners
c) receptors
2. Goals
3. Activities
a) Co produced research
b) Dissemination (academic & non-
academic)
c) Facilitated uptake
4. Impact Assessment
5. Budget
Phipps, D.J., Jensen, K.E., Johnny, M., Poetz, A. (2017) Supporting knowledge mobilization and
research impact strategies in grant applications. Journal of Research Administration. 47(2):49-67
https://srainternational.org/publications/journal/volume-xlvii-number-2/supporting-knowledge-
mobilization-and-research-impact

39. Project Title
1. Partners/
Audiences
Stakeholders:
Co-production partners:
Audiences/Receptors:
2. Goals
flip the problem
3. Activities Stakeholders:
Co-production partners:
Audiences/Receptors:
4. Impact

40. http://www.kmbtoolkit.ca/

47. What type of indicators will you use to measure your KMb efforts?
Reach indicators (# distributed, # requested, # downloads/hits, media exposure)
Usefulness indicators (read/browsed, satisfied with, usefulness of, gained knowledge, changed views)
Doing more with what you know
• use indicators (# intend to use, # adapting the information, # using to inform
• policy/advocacy/enhance programs, training, education or research, # using to improve practice or
performance)
Partnership/collaboration indicators (# products/services developed or disseminated with partners, # or
type of capacity building efforts, social network growth, influences, collaborativeness)
Practice change indicators (intent or commitment to change, observed change, reported change)
Program or service indicators (outcome data, documentation, feedback, process measures)
Policy indicators (documentation, feedback, process measures)
Knowledge change (quantitative & qualitative measures)
Attitude change (quantitative & qualitative measures)
Systems change (quantitative & qualitative measures)

49. Project Title
Partners/
Audiences
Stakeholders:
Co-production partners:
Audiences/Receptors:
Goals
flip the problem
Activities Stakeholders:
Co-production partners:
Audiences/Receptors:
Impact