A dialog with funders: What approaches and activities ensure research achieves its expected impact?

Weiss K1, Green S2, Littler K3, Reeder J4, Kinn S5, Kern S
1Cochrane, 2Cochrane Australia, 3Wellcome Trust, 4Special Programme for Research & Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), World Health Organization, 5UK Department for International Development

[Old title: Global funding: Multi-agency approaches to knowledge translation/research uptake into action or bringing the research community into the policy decision-making process]

Objectives:

Share how funders work to support evidence uptake so that it has an impact.  Different approaches and perspectives. This includes:

Knowledge synthesis, creation of policy briefs, knowledge translation activities,  bringing policy makers and knowledge managers together.Collaboration and coordination between fundersFaclitate discussion to explore additional approaches, challenges and needs of the evidence community to ensure evidence uptake.

Help build a base of knowledge of best practice, tools, & case studies that can have a positive impact on current and future programmes. 

Description:

This session will present various ways in which funders are ensuring impact in research investment.  What works? What are the ways in which funders engage with the evidence community both to support the most relevant and high quality primary research and evidence synthesis? What are   funders doing to ensure the maximum impacts through pooling resource and supporting knowledge translation initiatives to inform guidelines, decision aids, implementation, and quality improvement. 

What tools and activities faciliatate the translation of research evidence into policy and practice? 

A panel with representatives from global funders will briefly present examples of approaches to knowledge translation that aim to ensure the benefits of research are accessible, available and can be used by health care providers, policymakers and patients.

This will be followed by a number of questions intended to start a robust dialog about additional approaches, what else can funders do, and how best to engage the evidence community to ensure impact. 

The session aims to:

Showcase current approaches to research and evidence uptakeStimulate learning about some specific initiativesIncrease insight into funders efforts to support knowledge translation into policyDiscuss challenges and barriers with a view to finding solutionsDiscuss tools and activities that workShare and explore additional ideas or examples of how best to ensure evidence uptakeBuild the overall knowledge base on steps to ensure impact