Skills for Research Impact

Skills for Research Impact is a workshop series for University of Guelph faculty, research staff and graduate students interested in enhancing the impact of their research. Through five core sessions facilitated by impact experts, participants will learn how to successfully plan, execute and evaluate knowledge mobilization (or knowledge translation and transfer) activities. Sessions will cover topics key to effective research communications and engagement of non-academic audiences, including policy, industry and community stakeholders.

Throughout the series, participants will be invited to apply the workshops’ content to their own research contexts and goals, and bring in real examples to work on. Workshops will be highly participatory and will provide practical knowledge, skills and tools that can be used right away.

Join us online this winter for one or multiple sessions! Participants who complete all sessions will be entered in a draw for a chance to win "What Works Now", a knowledge mobilization book authored by Annette Boaz, Huw Davies, Alec Fraser and Sandra Nutley as well as a letter of recognition at the end of the series.

Webinar access information will be emailed to registrants closer to each event date.

Workshop Speaker Date and Location

Planning for Research Impact

Knowledge mobilization 101! Become familiar with knowledge mobilization plans and conceptualize strategies adapted to your goals and audiences.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Define ‘Knowledge Mobilization’
  • Identify why Knowledge Mobilization is important
  • Identify best practices for Knowledge Mobilization
  • Summarize the steps involved in Knowledge Mobilization planning
  • Compare and contrast End of Grant KT and Integrated KT
  • Apply the principles of Knowledge Mobilization to their research

Register for the Planning for Research Impact session.

Shannon Brown, Knowledge Mobilization Manager, Office of Research, Agri-Food Partnership

Jan 26, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

Stakeholder Engagement

Reflect on how to engage your stakeholders throughout your research process to increase your impact, and review engagement best practices for policy, industry and community actors.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Identify a range of key stakeholders and potential goals for engagement 
  • List practical tips and important considerations for graduate students when planning to engage with stakeholders 
  • Understand different levels and types of stakeholder engagement before, during, and following the research process
  • Understand ethical and equity-based considerations for stakeholder engagement and reflect on key issues to apply in your own research 

Register for the Stakeholder Engagement session.

 Lindsey Thomson, Community Engaged Scholarship Institute

Feb 9, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

Clear Language Writing

Hone your clear communications skills! Get tips on how to structure and write clear language summaries of your research for dissemination to lay audiences.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Define what clear language communication is
  • Recall why clear language communication is important in Knowledge Mobilization
  • Explain the importance of identifying and understanding the needs of your audience
  • Evaluate the clarity of various communication pieces
  • Construct clear language communication using organization, language, and formatting strategies

Register for the Clear Language Writing session.

Kim Garwood, Research and Knowledge Mobilization Manager, Live Work Well Research Centre

Feb 23, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

Advanced Session: Data Visualization

This workshop will be an introduction to data visualization for non-technical users.

After attending this workshop you will be able to:

  • Understand what data visualization accomplishes and why it matters
  • Set yourself for success and know what your team needs to be successful in data visualization
  • Define your data visualization style and approach
  • Get familiarized with key best practices
  • Get introduced to how to get it done without technical skills

Register for the Data Visualization session

 Naolo Charles, Knowledge Mobilization and Communications Coordinator, Research Innovation Office

Mar 2, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

KTT Strategies and Dissemination

How do you share your research with non-academic audiences? Learn about a number of potential mechanisms you can use for knowledge mobilization, discover how to choose a mechanism that’s appropriate for your audience, and take a deep dive into several popular mechanisms for dissemination, including social media, research summaries, infographics, and media. 

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Recognize various opportunities for dissemination of research to non-academic audiences 
  • Select an appropriate option for dissemination to your audience 
  • List, and apply skills learned related to, popular dissemination mechanisms: 
    • Social media 
    • Policy brief or 2-page summary 
    • Infographic or visual summary 
    • Media outreach 
  • List resources that will help disseminate your research in additional ways

Register for the KTT Strategies and Dissemination session.

 Elizabeth Shantz, Knowledge Mobilization Manager, Research Innovation Office

Mar 9, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

Evaluating KTT Activities

When all is said and done, how do you know it worked? Go beyond the anecdote and learn to use evaluation techniques to assess the impact of your knowledge mobilization efforts.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Summarize the steps involved in evaluating KTT
  • Discuss common challenges and best practices in KTT evaluation
  • Use strategies to identify KTT measures and indicators
  • Explain trade-offs in deciding what and how to measure
  • Select appropriate KTT evaluation goals
  • Build a logic model or theory of change to explain KTT rationale
  • Create a basic evaluation framework for their own KTT work

Register for the Evaluating KTT Activities session.

Anne Bergen, Knowledge to Action Consulting

Mar 23, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

Advanced Session: Infographic Development and Design

Go beyond the academic poster: learn all about best practices for designing engaging and visually appealing infographics.

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the principles of visual design
  • Select appropriate resources to help make visual layouts
  • Create a basic infographic using PowerPoint as a graphic design tool

Register for the Infographic Development and Design session.

 Shannon Brown, Knowledge Mobilization Manager, Office of Research, Agri-Food Partnership

Mar 25, 2021

1:00-2:30 pm

This workshop series is a collaboration between the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute (CESI) and the Research Innovation Office at the University of Guelph. For more information, contact us at kttadmin@uoguelph.ca.

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Accelerating Research Impact