Sharing experience on research uptake: a funder’s perspectiveNina MarshallDeputy Head, International Development Research Team, ESRC

Effective approaches to promoting uptake…▶ Involve all stakeholders:

i.e. researchers, intermediaries and research ‘users’ including the general public

▶Promote activity on both the ‘supply’ and ‘demand’ side: i.e. co-produced, policy-relevant, high quality research

is communicated effectively to research users with capacity for and commitment to accessing, evaluating, synthesising and using research evidence in their decisions/practice▶Are strategic:i.e. build on clear understanding of contexts, needs and processes to enable responsiveness to and creation of opportunities for successful research uptake throughout

(Some) Lessons learned

▶Activity and support is required at both individual grant and programme level to facilitate research uptake

▶Co-production within established networks and relationships that build up researchers’ reputations with research users is vital

▶Adequate resourcing – and excellent infrastructure, leadership and management– is critical to delivering uptake

▶Research uptake and impact are not the same thing: uptake is a necessary but not sufficient step on the ‘pathway to impact’

▶Research excellence is central to impact: excellence with impact not an either/or relationship

(Some) Challenges in promoting uptake▶Capacity to access, assess and use research

findings within policy/practice contexts▶Understanding of policy/practice contexts and

timescales within research communities and vice versa

▶Limitations to opportunities to develop co-produced research, including developing and sustaining long-term relationships and networks: internal and external to funding environment

▶Sources of support for uptake activities beyond the lifetime of individual grants may be limited