Knowledge Translation and

Transfer Program: sharing ideas,

insights, innovation and impacts:

research transformed into use

Knowledge Translation and Transfer (KTT) Program

Ontario Ministry of Agricultural and Food and Ministry of Rural Affairs

Michael Toombs, Elin Gwyn and Bronwynne Wilton

Contents

KTT research transformed

into use

What’s new and what’s working in a dedicated research

knowledge mobilization program

Using examples to

highlight:

Sharing ideas

Innovation

Insights and

Impacts

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The KTT Program’s Agri-Food and Rural Link

The KTT funding program under the OMAF and MRA/University of Guelph (UofG) is administered by the UofG. (2008-2018)

Working in partnership Uof Guelph and government ministries – dedicated staff

KTT program - ~$3.7 million for 70 plus different KTT projects www.uoguelph.ca/research/omafra/partnership/KTT_and_IP.shtml

5 KTT funding program calls since May 2010

Creative collaborations, use of social media, technology, etc

Broad cross-section of projects across the 7 research themes

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The KTT Program

• A video that provides an overview of KTT Program

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KTT is more than a funding program – networking, events and tools

Building Trusted Relationships

Research Project Support

Connecting & Informing

Research Forums and Expos

Annual KTT Knowledge Exchange Day

KTT Tools

Enhanced Communications

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Successful KTT Practices

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• Research user groups are identified, defined and involved in the research process

• Linkages, associations, partnerships and networks defined and active to allow access to knowledge and knowledge flow.

• Researchers and research users work in close proximity and/or together on collaborative teams.

• Research institutions, knowledge broker agencies, knowledge translations and transfer institutions have the internal capacity and infrastructure to support and engage KTT.

• KTT isn’t just “let to happen” it is “made to happen” through planning (KTT Plan)

• The plan is implemented through timely transfer efforts.

• There are incentives, recognition and rewards for KTT

Innovation - Research data to user app

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KTT Examples of ideas, innovations, insights and impacts

• Storytelling with videos, including a white board video on animal health

• Gryphon’s LAAIR - University of Guelph’s version of Dragon’s Den

• Training future experts (graduate student plain language posters and pitches)

• Market research to KTT implementation - Equine Guelph: Equine Research

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Videos Storytelling – sharing key

messages

• Video at solid tool for starting a conversation, sharing a knowledge nugget, extending your research message;

• And linking it to other knowledge transfer activities • Website blogs and posts

• Show at organizational/network meetings

• Through print articles in industry/sector related press with link to website video

• Post on YouTube video (ideally YouTube quality and less then 3 minutes)

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Game Changer Videos

Specialty Food Bioproducts Equipment

Grasshill Farm

Switch Energy

Performance Plants

Hays Genetics International Ltd.

BIO

Weavercroft International

New Energy Farms

Troll Bridge Creek

MacKellar Farms

Katan Kitchens

Thomas Canning

Bosco & Roxy’s

Sevita International

Mariposa Dairy

Canadian Biofuel

BDR Technologies

Woodbridge Foam

GreenField Ethanol

Advanced Micro Polymers

NeoVentures Biotechnology

Competitive Green Technologies

GreenBug Energy

JayLor

Cadman Power

BDR Technologies

Woodbridge Foam

Advanced Micro Polymers

CG Technologies

Switch Energy Corp.

“We watched the videos and were

impressed by the various technologies”.

Benjamin Eliasoph

Trade Commissioner, Canadian Embassy,

Washington D.C.

Mariposa Dairy, Lindsay ON

Goat cheese products

NeoVentures, London ON Grain contamination detection

Game Changer Videos

Specialty Food Bioproducts Equipment

Grasshill Farm

Switch Energy

Performance Plants

Hays Genetics International Ltd.

BIO

Weavercroft International

New Energy Farms

Troll Bridge Creek

MacKellar Farms

Katan Kitchens

Thomas Canning

Bosco & Roxy’s

Sevita International

Mariposa Dairy

Canadian Biofuel

BDR Technologies

Woodbridge Foam

GreenField Ethanol

Advanced Micro Polymers

NeoVentures Biotechnology

Competitive Green Technologies

GreenBug Energy

JayLor

Cadman Power

BDR Technologies

Woodbridge Foam

Advanced Micro Polymers

CG Technologies

Switch Energy Corp.

“We watched the videos and were

impressed by the various technologies”.

Benjamin Eliasoph

Trade Commissioner, Canadian Embassy,

Washington D.C.

Mariposa Dairy, Lindsay ON

Goat cheese products

NeoVentures, London ON Grain contamination detection

This program was great for us being a smaller company with a limited promotional budget. The opportunity to present our business to the online community and refer distant potential customers to the web page is a great way to promote our business and explain what exactly we do.” -- Jacob MacKeller, MacKeller Farms

OMAF and MRA-U of G Partnership

Research Videos www.youtube.com/user/AgriFoodandRuralLink

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8AV9jR97zE

Bug Blog and Aphid Advisor App http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH2NAUgl9Cg

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvlk15Y5toc

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Whiteboard Video

• Johne's Disease in Canadian Dairy Herds: What it Means for

farmers by Steven Roche and Dave Kelton (Published on Nov 11, 2013 )

• Bob, a Canadian dairy farmer, shares his story about dealing with Johne's disease, the effects it had on one cow in particular, Belle, and the steps he took to try and control the disease on his farm.

• Metrics: # of views: ~3300: 58% of viewers live in Canada, 14% from the U.S., 13% from the U.K., and remaining 15% from 73 countries, (from every major continent!)

• Video: link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Y0ew5yMo8#t=36

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Whiteboard Video Preliminary Survey Results

First impressions of this video?

• “ Loved it. Very informative, while still keeping my attention the entire time. …

• “Very novel approach to translating scientific information to producers. I feel it will resonate with them, its not condescending, concepts are easy to remember. Appeals to visual and auditory learners, and is a spin-off of peer-peer education as it is the voice of the producer.”

• “The simple white board drawings allows the viewer to really focus on what is being said, while still maintaining interest. ..Overall, the video is really well done.”

Effectiveness?

- 96% of respondents reported that this tool is ‘effective’ / ‘very effective’ for learning

Educational tool?

- 96% of respondents reported that they are ‘satisfied’ / ‘very satisfied’ with it as an educational tool.

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Gryphon’s LAAIR

“Innovation Pitch”

New in 2014 New

• LAAIR - Leading to Accelerated Adoption of Innovative Research

• Goal: to provide targeted support for transformative research, development & commercialization projects to help develop and adopt innovative technologies across Ontario's agri-food and rural sectors

• Researchers ‘pitched’ their ideas to an industry panel

• 8 researchers received from $25,000 to $125,000 Photos: Spark and University

of Guelph website

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Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP)

Scholarship Program

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• Unique scholarship which provides support for graduate students working in the agri-food and rural sectors

• Includes a mandatory two-semester course linking business and science topics

• Also includes a job shadowing component for students to work with government, industry, or community partners

• Over $5 million currently invested in over 100 grad students who have either completed their graduate studies or are currently still in school.

Making research understandable to potential

researchers users beyond academia

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Starting KTT with Market Research

• Market research to KTT implementation - Equine Guelph: Equine Research

• Improving Equine Guelph’s KTT Program delivery – 3 step approach 1. Identified the needs and priorities for knowledge

products while assessing the current initiatives 2. Developed a multimedia and social networking for KTT

in the horse industry – direct email, media, magazine articles, and website design used to engage with stakeholders to continuously improve effective KTT

Report on Research video, and “Helpful Hints” video clips, plain language summaries, articles and 10 researcher bios

3. Using approaches (a dynamic, interactive display, YouTube videos and researcher-research user events) to engage the grassroots and equine industry associations.

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Insights from Equine Guelph’s KTT

projects

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“By starting out with consultation with our partners and reviewing the results of the industry survey that clearly showed industry priorities, we are able to deliver information identified as needs from the industry”.

Connecting Further

KTT at OMAF and MRA it is defined as the transformation of knowledge into use through synthesis, exchange, dissemination, dialogue, collaboration and brokering among researchers and research users

Website: http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ktt/kttdefined.htm

Building a KTT plan:

www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/ktt/kttplan/buildkttplan.pdf

• Twitter: @OnAgFoodRuralRI

Email – elin.gwyn@ontario.ca

The Agri-Food and Rural Link website (uoguelph.ca/ktt) provides more information about the program as well as links to videos and further resources.

On LinkedIn, Twitter (AgFoodRuralLink), Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/research-link/

And check out the Knowledge to Action Casebook www.uoguelph.ca/omafra_partnership/ktt/en/agrifoodrurallink/Casebooks.asp

Email -bwilton@uoguelph.ca

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Questions?

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