This month’s KMb Journal Club post is from Samantha Shewchuk, and it reviews an article by RIC’s own David Phipps and Steve MacGregor. Samantha posted:
“What Universities Can Learn from Networked Knowledge Mobilization” – Reflections by Samantha Shewchuk on LinkedIn on April 14, 2025.
I’m so excited to see this important piece by my colleagues Stephen MacGregor and David Phipps (he/him/his) published in IJEPL:
📄 “Networked Learning for Knowledge Mobilization: Universities and the Pursuit of Research Impact”
The article explores how Research Impact Canada (RIC)—a pan-Canadian network of universities—builds institutional capacity for knowledge mobilization (KMb) through networked learning. Based on interviews with professionals embedded in university KMb roles, it surfaces what we often miss in impact conversations: the human work of navigating institutional constraints, aligning competing agendas, and building relationships that move research into action.
💡 What stood out to me most were the implications for university leaders and decision-makers:
✅ KMb professionals are essential infrastructure. They’re not just translators of evidence—they’re facilitators, strategists, and relationship-builders who help bridge theory and practice. Their work needs long-term investment and organizational support.
✅ Institutional models matter. Whether centralized or decentralized, the way universities structure KMb affects how effectively research reaches communities. There’s no one-size-fits-all, but we need to be more intentional.
✅ Networks like RIC reduce isolation. Universities don’t have to figure this out alone. By sharing tools, strategies, and failures, professional networks provide the collective learning needed to tackle complex challenges—especially when expectations around research impact are intensifying.
This paper is a must-read for anyone involved in university strategy, research administration, or impact work. It reminds us that advancing research use isn’t just about accountability—it’s about learning with and from each other.
🙌 Congratulations again to Stephen and David for pushing the conversation forward.
Read the paper here https://lnkd.in/eHE_E9NH“