High-quality research continues to generate new insights into the challenges and opportunities facing our health and care system. Yet the path to achieving real-world change is rarely straightforward. If we want to reduce health inequalities, tackle the challenges of an aging population, improve outcomes for people living with long-term conditions and support our health and care workforce, we need a deliberate approach to knowledge mobilisation.
Much of the evidence produced by the best research holds significant potential to shape decisions and improve outcomes for our communities, but only when it is shared and applied in ways that resonate with those who can use it. To drive real-world impact we need to mobilise knowledge intentionally, collaboratively and with a clear understanding of context.
In this blog, we offer five key considerations to support researchers in ensuring their work achieves sustained impact.
Knowledge mobilisation is more than disseminating research findings or sharing results at the end of a project. It is the active, deliberate process of ensuring that knowledge is created, interpreted and applied in ways that support meaningful change. It is a process which involves working with the people and organisations who can use that knowledge – practitioners, communities, policymakers and system leaders – across the earliest stages of research and on into implementation and evaluation.
In practice, getting knowledge to the right people at the right time means:
At its core, knowledge mobilisation is about connection: connecting evidence with context, people with ideas and insights with opportunities for improvement. When done well, it helps ensure that research is not only academically robust, but also relevant, usable and timely for those who need it.
Importantly, knowledge mobilisation can also strengthen future research. Early engagement with practitioners, communities and system leaders can reveal where evidence gaps actually lie, which questions matter most in real-world settings and what kinds of data or tools would be useful. Such conversations can spark new research questions, deepen partnerships, shape compelling research grant proposals and lay the groundwork for future studies. Knowledge mobilisation is not just a route to implementation, it is a cyclical process that improves the relevance, quality and impact of research itself. By taking a structured and collaborative approach to knowledge mobilisation, researchers can create the conditions in which evidence genuinely informs decisions and strengthens practice while building stronger foundations for forthcoming research.
Successful knowledge mobilisation begins with a clear sense of the impact you want to achieve. Simple tools such as a theory of change or logic model can help identify who needs to be involved and how your work could lead to the change you intend.
A good starting point is a simple stakeholder-mapping exercise: identifying who your evidence could benefit, who influences decisions and who needs to be engaged along the way. Engaging practitioners, policymakers or system partners early helps shape relevant questions and builds the relationships needed for implementation; while grounding future research in real-world priorities.
Different users of evidence need different kinds of information. Academic outputs alone rarely meet the needs of busy practitioners or decision-makers. Clear, accessible formats such as policy briefs, executive summaries and case studies can make evidence easier to discuss and apply within real-world settings. Understanding what matters to key stakeholders and how they make decisions helps enable action.
Effective knowledge mobilisation relies on trusted, ongoing relationships rather than one-off conversations. Creating regular opportunities for dialogue with prioritised stakeholders throughout your project helps surface insights and refine emerging findings that support both implementation and future research activity.
Planning for learning and impact from the start enables you to understand not only what you delivered, but the difference it made. Evaluation and ongoing feedback can support continuous learning, helping you adjust your approach and understand what contributes to the effective use of your findings.
What we did: Working with the research team, and as part of the NIHR ARC East of England Knowledge Mobilisation Programme, we explored what would be needed to move the evidence into practice, including developing a logic model and considering potential pathways to impact. The team also contributed to the design and facilitation of a commissioning workshop that brought together system partners to reflect on the findings and discuss next steps. In addition, we provided guidance on approaches to knowledge mobilisation and implementation to help inform ongoing planning.
Outcome / Impact: This work has led to continued dialogue with commissioning teams regarding how the intervention could be taken forward within local pathways. Building on the evaluation, the research team secured funding to explore the feasibility of adapting the intervention for Hindu communities, in collaboration with One Vision. This next phase reflects a growing interest in culturally tailored approaches as a means of improving screening participation and addressing inequalities across diverse populations.
“The Health Innovation Team brought exceptional insight and collaboration to this work. Their support in developing the logic model, shaping our pathways to impact, and facilitating a highly engaging commissioning workshop has been invaluable. Their guidance on knowledge mobilisation has helped us plan more effectively and strengthen future partnerships.”
Professor Daksha Trivedi, Project Lead, University of Hertfordshire
At Health Innovation East, we get the best ideas and research across health and care to the people, places and problems where they are needed most. Knowledge mobilisation is central to our mission.
As partners of the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) East of England, we help connect academic expertise with heath and care system priorities and broker the relationships that support successful implementation. We work with researchers and systems to ensure a two-way dialogue; and ensure research and innovations meet the most pressing demands of our healthcare system.
As a bridge between research and practice, Health Innovation East strengthens the region’s capacity to generate, mobilise and embed knowledge that leads to better outcomes for patients, communities and the workforce.
Currently, senior colleagues work directly with academic teams to support the translation of evidence into practice. We provide hands-on guidance to help researchers understand how their work can be applied in real-world settings, advise on the development of effective knowledge mobilisation and implementation plans and help facilitate early conversations between researchers and stakeholders. We also provide support at the grant development stage, helping research teams shape competitive proposals with a robust knowledge mobilisation strategy from the outset.
Making it happen
Knowledge mobilisation is a core part of how research creates value. Whether you are developing a new research project or seeking to translate existing findings into practice, we can help.
To discuss how we can support your knowledge mobilisation and implementation plans, please fill in Health Innovation East’s consultancy engagement form
If you are an innovator or a healthcare provider looking for support with a challenge or project, please fill in Health Innovation East’s consultancy engagement form below.
Over the next year we’re holding quarterly webinars spotlighting key challenges our partners are facing, and sharing tools, techniques and insights from real-world projects regarding how they can be overcome. This quarter we are focusing on Research Engagement, Implementation and Impact.
The first webinar, held on 18 March, will focus on practical tools, techniques and support – drawing on 3 project examples and conversation with an expert panel.
Sign up for free here and follow along for more updates on this theme, as well as future themes in the year head.
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