Background: Research knowledge products generated in traditional university settings, such as social and behavioral interventions, often remain siloed within their research disciplines. Implementation science knowledge can be leveraged to systematically map and navigate complexities in research innovation systems to enhance the outcomes of research knowledge valorization and utilization activities. Given the social and economic impact of the increasing prevalence of dementia, the Netherlands established five specialized academic health science centers, referred to as Alzheimer Centers, to structurally facilitate the creation, adaptation, implementation, and dissemination processes for Dutch dementia research.

Objectives: This study uses an implementation science-guided approach to explore the knowledge valorization and research knowledge utilization activities present within the Alzheimer Centers to understand strategies employed across stages of the ‘knowledge-to-action’ (KTA) framework, which includes creating knowledge, assessing barriers to implementation, and monitoring and evaluating implementation.

Methods: Individual semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with dementia care researchers employed across five Alzheimer Centers to develop case studies, and respondents were selected through purposive (snowball) sampling. Interviews were conducted in-person and virtually through Microsoft Teams, and all were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and the analysis was guided by the dimensions of the KTA framework.

Result: Knowledge creation, and the translation of research findings into research knowledge products, was facilitated through strategies, such as establishing relationships between researchers and patient groups, facilitated in ‘memory clinics’ at the Alzheimer Center, and ‘client panels’ that provided researchers the opportunity to involve end-users in research product development. Implementation and dissemination of research knowledge products was often facilitated through establishing early formal partnerships and involving well-networked external intermediary organizations and university-based technology transfer offices to facilitate implementation.

Conclusion: The varied strategies identified across each Alzheimer Center suggests a connection between the research institution and project teams’ capacity to utilize research and the selected strategies’ outcomes. The results from this study can guide the allocation of resources, inform future research knowledge implementation effort, and enhance research knowledge utilization outcomes to deliver optimal care to people with dementia and their caregivers. Future studies may develop a contextualized implementation stakeholder mapping approach, suitable for enhancing implementation support readiness in dementia research.