Skills for Research Impact

Skills for Research Impact is a workshop series, spanning the fall and winter semesters, for University of Guelph faculty, research staff and graduate students interested in enhancing the impact of their research. Through 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 gain skills that can be applied to their own research contexts, goals and projects. Workshops will be highly participatory and will provide practical knowledge, skills and tools that can be used right away.

Join us for one or multiple sessions! The first five core sessions will be offered online. Two advanced sessions will be hosted in person on campus.

Letters of recognition are available upon request at the end of the series for those who attended all core sessions in the Winter 2024 semester. Please contact kttadmin@uoguelph.ca for more details.

Webinar access information will be provided through the EventBrite registration page.

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

Valerie Hruska, Knowledge Mobilization and Communications Coordinator, Research Innovation Office, University of Guelph

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom/Virtual

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.

After attending 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, Arrell Food Institute, University of Guelph

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom/Virtual

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.

At 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 Editorial Specialist, Stiletto Consulting

Tuesday, January 30, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Zoom/Virtual

Community Engagement

Actively engaging your audiences in your research process is one of the most effective ways to increase the uptake and impact of your research. But how does that work?

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

  • Identify a range of key audiences and potential goals for engagement
  • Consider different levels and types of community engagement before, during and following the research process
  • Incorporate practical tips and important considerations in their own engagement efforts

Register for the Community Engagement session

Lindsay Thompson, Manager, Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, University of Guelph

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Virtual/Zoom

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.

After attending 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, Director and Principal, Knowledge to Action Consulting

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Virtual/Zoom

ADVANCED SESSION: Data Visualization

Help your audience understand the patterns and key insights hidden within your datasets by transforming them into meaningful and impactful visuals.

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Understand what data visualization can accomplish and why it matters for knowledge mobilization
  • Choose charts, figures and other visualizations appropriate for their data
    • Identify and implement good dataviz practices
  • Get started in creating effective charts

Register for the Data Visualization session

Jenny Marvin, Interim Head, Research & Scholarship, Library, University of Guelph

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Update: online via Zoom

Location: McLaughlin Library, University of Guelph

2nd Floor Scholars Studio

ADVANCED SESSION: Creating Fact Sheets and Policy Briefs

Fact sheets and policy briefs are summaries of research findings aimed at supporting evidence-based decision-making. Learn how to communicate the value of your research to support public polices, industry decisions, and more!

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

  • Understand the purpose of policy briefs and fact sheets
  • Compare and contrast these summarized reports with traditional academic publications
  • Identify appropriate target audiences for their research findings.
  • Construct effective summarized reports using best practices

Register for the Creating Fact Sheets and Policy Briefs Session

Heather White, Knowledge Mobilization & Communication Coordinator, Soils at Guelph, University of Guelph

March 5, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Hybrid

UC 442/Zoom

ADVANCED SESSION: Accessible Knowledge Products

You’ve done the research and created the outputs. But how do you know that you’re reaching everyone who might be interested? Get tips on how to make your knowledge products as accessible as possible so they can be understood and used to their fullest potential.

After attending this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Understand why accessibility matters for all knowledge users
  • Define basic principles of digital and physical accessibility
  • Identify good accessibility practices in a range of knowledge products (infographics, reports, websites, charts, tables, etc.)
  • Implement good accessibility practices in their own knowledge products
Register for the Accessible Knowledge Products Session
Kendra Schnarr, Research Projects Assistant, Community Engaged Scholarship Institute, University of Guelph

March 12, 2024

1-2:30 p.m.

Location: Hybrid

UC442/Zoom

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