This is a blog on Knowledge Mobilisation in public health.
More specifically, it is a blog on Knowledge Mobilisation within evaluations of local government public health interventions across the UK.
A little bit of background
I am the Knowledge Broker within PHIRST Elevate, one of the research teams that make up PHIRST.
PHIRST (Public Health Intervention Responsive Studies Teams) is an NIHR-funded initiatives which appoints research teams to conduct evaluations of public health interventions across local governments in the UK. More information on PHIRST here.
PHIRST Elevate is one of the PHIRST Teams. We are the only one based entirely in Scotland, and one of the few teams based entirely at one University. More information on PHIRST Elevate here.
Knowledge Broker. As a PHIRST Elevate Knowledge Broker, I do the following:
- Knowledge Mobilisation:
- Making sure the right message reaches the right people at the right time, paving the way for impact
- Public Involvement
- The public are not just a key audience for Knowledge Mobilisation, but also key in helping us design and deliver evaluations that are useful. I help set up a public involvement approach and help run public involvement activities for each evaluation.
- Stakeholder Engagement
- An integral part of Knowledge Mobilisation, but also a particular focus for me at the start of each evaluation: I play a role in the first contact we have with the local government, finding out more about the intervention, why they want the evaluation, what they hope to do with the findings etc.
- Impact
- A big word in research. I develop ways for PHIRST Elevate to plan, record and assess the impact we have had on the local government and beyond for each evaluation.
A note on Knowledge Brokering in general: This an emerging and broad area; there are many knowledge-brokering-type roles in research and policy, but there is no one remit, role description or job title. I will aim to explore the Knowledge Broker role in more depth through this blog as it evolves.
Why write a blog?
Since PHIRST Elevate started (around March 2024), there have been many developments in our Knowledge Mobilisation approach. This blog is intended to capture, track and share these learnings, as well as future insights that we gain with each new evaluation.
The blog is very much focused on Knowledge Mobilisation in action. A lot of the work and thinking I outline in this blog is informed through practice, experience and exchanges with colleagues across PHIRST. I am yet to dive deep into Knowledge Mobilisation theory and literature, but it is an area I am keen to explore and learn more about.
Feedback and tips (on anything, anytime) are much appreciated. Just drop me an email.
About Me
I have a keen interest in public health research, and how it informs policy and practice. I originally have a medical background, and I am now based at the Physical Activity for Health Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh.
I have always enjoyed breaking down complex information in an accessible way to reach different audiences – adapting communication to their needs, their interests or any prior knowledge they may have. This is a key skill that I have constantly honed throughout my career in medicine, industry and in research support, culminating in the role of Knowledge Broker with PHIRST Elevate.
Apart from Knowledge Mobilisation, the role at PHIRST Elevate is also giving me the opportunity to learn more about and lead on patient and public involvement (PPI) in research. This is an area I have always felt drawn to, and I am really excited I get to explore it more.
If I am not knowledge brokering, I am probably exploring hidden corners of Scotland…
The Small Print
This project is funded by the NIHR [Public Health Research programme/PHIRST Elevate NIHR160288]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.
