knowledge brokering: the early stages

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Knowledge Brokering: The Early Stages

Zahra Bhanji, PhDDirector, Research Knowledge Mobilization and Strategic PartnershipsFaculty of Education, York University

April 12, 2013

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Overview

1. The Context

2. What I Do

3. Importance to Organization

4. Lessons Learned

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Setting the Context• York University’s long history in knowledge mobilization

and founding member of Research Impact

• “Collaborative research at York is special. York has seized on the opportunities provided within a comprehensive institution to make long-term investments in supporting participatory and collaborative research”

York University Strategic Research Plan: 2013-2018

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Community and Practitioner Oriented Faculty

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York Centre for Education & Community

• YCEC is an organized research unit within the Faculty of Education that develops, implements and disseminates community-related research, evaluation, and educational projects

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My Role as a Knowledge Broker

1. Knowledge Mobilization

1. Nurturing Relationships and Partnerships

1. Proposals & Grant Administration

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1. Knowledge Mobilization1. Develop strategies to enhance the impact of research

produced in the faculty on policy, practice and public understanding

2. Nurture relationships including researchers and potential users of research (networking and collaboration) to develop research agendas, carry out research, and implement various strategies to make knowledge produced relevant, accessible and practical

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Knowledge Mobilization Planning• Faculty of Education Strategic Research Plan and

Implementation Plan

Content Creation

Dissemination

Measure Impact

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2. Nurturing Relationships and Partnerships• Focus on strategic priorities e.g. York University and

York Region Mental Health Collaborative/MOU • Early stages of co-creation and implementation of a

research agenda

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3. Proposals & Grant Administration• Knowledge mobilization plans – “specific activities and tools

that facilitate the multidirectional flow and exchange of research knowledge” (SSHRC 2012).

• Components include:• an overall plan to increase the accessibility flow and

exchange of social sciences and humanities knowledge among academic and non-academic audiences

• a plan for engaging appropriate audiences or participants• a schedule for achieving the intended knowledge

mobilization activities • Elaboration on the purpose of the knowledge mobilization

activities and/or goals

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Importance to York

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Lessons Learned• Planning is essential and takes time

• Implementation within the norms of an organization

• Phased rolled – start small and then build

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Knowledge Brokers in the Future• Role integrated within the work of communications

personnel and researchers

• Knowledge brokers will be designers and architects• Beyond research to practice• Playing an intermediary role between different sectors

• Knowledge brokers will be problem solvers

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