Knowledge exchange (KE) is a process which brings together academic staff, users of research and wider groups and communities to exchange ideas, evidence and expertise.
Knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) is a process of
exchange between researchers and
knowledge users designed to make relevant research information available and accessible to stakeholders for use in decision-making about practices, programs and policies. Knowledge Exchange, or Knowledge Transfer, is a key output of academic research. It conveys how knowledge and ideas move between the knowledge source and the potential users of that knowledge. It may occur through the training of postgraduate researchers who subsequently apply that knowledge in the public or private sector, or through direct engagement between the academics and public/private sector via collaborative or contract research, or through the exploitation of intellectual property through the creation of start-up companies, or in many other ways. The key common element is that information and expertise is exchanged with businesses, society and/or the economy.
What opportunities are there for Knowledge Exchange?
Your research organisation is likely to have services providing help and support for knowledge exchange. These may be provided by separate functions within the organisation, e.g. business development or technology transfer offices, but may well be part of your central research office, which may be able to help in the first instance.
collaborative research: academic research undertaken in partnership with other universities or research organisations, with business, with government and/or with the third sector (e.g. charities). Collaborative research can take a number of forms, from a basic grant between two partners, through to a complex multi-partner research programme
collaborative training: enabling researchers to develop the relevant skills to undertake excellent research, work effectively in business (and/or the government or other important sectors), and exploit the outcomes of their research. Training opportunities include vocational courses, collaborative studentship projects between academia and industry, and training in entrepreneurship
People and information exchange: increased levels of university-business interaction; exchange of researchers between academia and industry to stimulate partnerships between business and researchers; brokering and networking activities, fellowship schemes that enable researchers to work in a commercial environment; Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
commercialisation and development activities: encouraging researchers to take their ideas further down the route to exploitation, and rewarding them for high quality innovation. For example the UK Research Councils' Follow-on Fund (plus a range of other Council-specific schemes) supports ‘proof-of-concept' type work, the RCUK Business Plan Competition provides training and mentoring in the development of business skills, and Enterprise Training develops researchers' entrepreneurial skills.
Why do knowledge exchange?
Knowledge exchange activities can help you to increase the impact of your research. Impact is defined as “the demonstrable contribution of research to changes that bring benefits to the economy, society, culture, public policy or services, health, the environment or quality of life”. In the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS), we aim to contribute economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits to society.
Knowledge exchange including collaboration with organisations outside academia have a number of very
significant benefits to academics. ... funding for
knowledge transfer may counts towards income targets. successful collaborations allow you to increase significantly the impact of your research.
What does knowledge exchange look like in practice?
Industry, policy, practice and the public are our main target groups for activity. In practice, a lot of knowledge exchange engages across these audiences. Through mutual exchange and collaboration, the process also benefits academic teaching and research.Collaborative research and other projects, Consultancy services and commissioned research, Secondment and placement positions, Training and continuing professional development (CPD), Licensing technologies, tools or training material, Briefings and other ways of communicating research, Events with external audiences.
Tips for doing knowledge exchange
Activities designed to enable knowledge exchange (KE) work best when they are designed with particular objectives in mind. Selecting KE activities purposefully works better than using approaches just because they have been used before or because you feel more comfortable with them. If you are starting out, you will be trying to attract interest, support and possible collaboration. You will want to tell people succinctly what your research is about and why it may be useful to them. At a later stage, when you come to share your results, you will again need to think about your various stakeholders – and the key messages that will be of interest to them. If you have collaborated on the research, your partners, colleagues and networks will also be able to help identify other interested people. It is also worthwhile considering funding opportunities for additional KE and impact generation.
What is it and why should you do it?
Knowledge exchange and public engagement cover any and all activities engaging non-academic audiences in or with your research, for example as partners, participants, collaborators and co-producers, or as audiences and users. These activities make it more likely that your research and expertise will make a difference to the ways in which questions, events or problems are understood and addressed around the world. No matter what your skills, experience, motivations and ambitions, getting involved in non-academic engagement can deliver significant benefits to you, your research partners and to wider society.
