In this episode ‘Sparking Impact: The People, Values, and Vibe of the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum with Dr Vicky Ward’ Ged Hall talks to Dr. Vicky Ward (Reader in Management at the University of St. Andrews) about the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum and her period as its Chair. They discuss the unique world of knowledge mobilisation and what makes the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum so special, including its aims and format.

The key takeaways from the discussion are:

🔹 Discover Vicky’s fascinating journey from music PhD to leading knowledge mobilisation in the UK.

🔹 Learn the origins and evolution of the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum, and how it’s built a vibrant, supportive community.

🔹 Explore what makes the Forum different from traditional conferences: interactive workshops, knowledge fayres, and a focus on collaboration over presentations.

🔹 Hear about the Forum’s core values—sustainability, inclusivity, and creating a safe, energising space for practitioners and researchers.

If you’re passionate about making research matter and building connections across sectors, the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum is for you.

To follow, connect and attend the Forum, check out the following:

• The Forum’s LinkedIn page (UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum)
• The Forum’s website (https://knowledgemobilisation.net/), where you can also check out who is on the Forum committee.
• The email address to be added to the distribution list: ukkmbforum@gmail.com

To connect with Vicky, take a look at her LinkedIn profile and her University profile page

Vicky's paper that influenced Ged's early research impact workshops is Ward, V., Foy, R., House, A., Smith, S., & Hamer, S. (2010). Planning for knowledge translation: a researcher’s guide. Evidence & Policy, 6(4), 527-541. Retrieved Sep 19, 2025, from https://doi.org/10.1332/174426410X535882

She also produced a technical report with other colleagues, called "Knowledge Brokering. Exploring the process of transferring knowledge into action", that had some great visuals in it that was also extremely valuable (thanks Vicky!).

Related episodes:

• (S9/E4) Scottish Policy Research Exchange: Empowering Equitable Decision-Making: a discussion with Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin and Dave Blackbell, who are SPRE's Co-Directors. Catherine-Rose (or CR) will be co-chairing the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum in 2026.
• (Episode 126) Research Impact Heroes: Dr Julie Bayley on Finding Your People

All of our episodes can be accessed via the following playlists: 

• Research Impact with Ged Hall (follow Ged on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research Impact Heroes with Ged Hall
• Open Research with Nick Sheppard (follow Nick on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research Careers with Ruth Winden (follow Ruth on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research talent management
• Academic Failure with Taryn Bell (follow Taryn on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Meet the Research Culturositists with Emma Spary (follow Emma on Bluesky and LinkedIn)
• Research co-production
• Research evaluation
• Research leadership
• Research professionals

Follow us on Bluesky: @researcherdevleeds.bsky.social (new episodes are announced here), @openresleeds.bsky.social, @researchcultureuol.bsky.social 

Connect to us on LinkedIn: @ResearchUncoveredPodcast (new episodes are announced here) 

Leeds Research Culture links: 

• Researcher Development and Culture Website
• Our Concordat Implemention plans and progress
• University of Leeds Research Culture Statement
• University of Leeds Responsible Metrics Statement 
• University of Leeds Open Research Statement 
• University of Leeds Research Culture Strategy - launched September 2023

If you would like to contribute to a podcast episode get in touch: researcherdevelopment@leeds.ac.uk

Welcome to the Research Culture Uncovered podcast, where in every episode we explore what is research culture and what should it be. You'll hear thoughts and opinions from a range of contributors. To help you change research culture into what you wanted to be.

Welcome to the latest episode of the Research Culture Uncovered Podcast.

My name is Ged Hall and I'm the Researcher Development Team Leader at the University of Leeds. My researcher development specialism is research impact covering development of individuals, researchers, and research impact professionals, and also the organisational development aspects of that. So all of my episodes for the podcast focus in some way on research impact, and they're all available via a playlist, which is in the show notes.

Laterally as an Associate Professor in knowledge mobilisation. Now I joined Leeds in 2011 and her work on knowledge mobilisation in collaboration with other colleagues in the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences provided a really strong un underpinning theory for the practice. I was gonna try and create.

In the first sessions I delivered to try and help researchers understand what research impact is and how to engage with it. So I'm really grateful for that. Vicky, it was, uh, I love reading those papers, uh, when I first arrived at Leeds and then getting to know you after reading them. So that was, that was brilliant.

Vicky. Is also the chair of the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum, which is an annual event for knowledge mobilisation researchers and practitioners, which is going to be the focus of this episode. So Vicky, welcome to the Research Culture Uncovered podcast.

Hi Ged. Thanks for having me. It's great to be here and it's so great to hear that you once read some of my research papers.

That's brilliant.

Yes, I have, and I've used them actually in a lot of, um, a lot of sessions actually. I used to, there was, um. There was a table that you did, a brilliant table in one of those papers, um, uh, where it was actually a series of questions across the life cycle, uh, of research to kind of prompt thinking around that.

And, uh, I used to use that in some group work, um, that, uh, that I used to put, uh, put participants through. So it was a fantastic resource. Um, so I hope you've got that in your kind of impact file. Uh,

absolutely. Yes I do. And it's, um. Quite rare actually to have people who read academic work. Um, we know that not a lot of people do that, which is why I'm actually in the space that I'm in.

But it is good to hear that some of mine is being read and used as well. And that's actually what I'm really interested in, passionate about.

Yeah, brilliant. I mean, it, it'd be a bit embarrassing if those working within the sector didn't read some literature, really, wouldn't it. Um, now Vicky, before we get onto chat about the forum and its history and its future, um, I'd like to understand your career journey a little bit because this is something I didn't know.

I mean, I've known you for years, but I didn't know your PhD was in music. So I'm kind of under, uh, kind of interested in what's your career journey from kind of like that music side of things as undergraduate, masters and PhD to, to do what you do now in terms of, uh, um, uh. research in knowledge mobilisation and you've also been a clarinet teacher as well.

So Yes. Tell us, tell us something about that kind of long and winding road.

Yeah, sure. Um, if I had a pound for every time somebody had asked me, well, how did you get from music to knowledge mobilisation? I'd probably be quite rich by now. Um, so yes, I started my academic career in music. Um, I, um, from a very young age actually wanted to be a clarinet teacher.

That's what I said I wanted to do. Um, and that's what I set about doing. I did an undergraduate degree and then a masters in music and um, then a PhD because I discovered through. Academic career that I really loved finding things out. So I'm incredibly curious, I think, and I love learning, so I definitely class myself as a lifelong learner.

And, um, I realised that, um, I wanted to keep finding things out. But also I realised as I got further through my academic career that, um, people just, lots of researchers did research, but it didn't seem to get used. And it just seemed to, people just seemed to do stuff and churn stuff out, but it, it then just sat on library shelves quite often, which is why it's so great that you've actually read and used some of my work.

Um, but in those early days when I was doing music, I was, um, struck by the fact that there are some academic aspects of music that actually could be really useful for. Clarinet teachers like myself and other kinds of teachers teaching people to play musical instruments. And so in my PhD I set about, um, looking and seeing if we could use a concept and a practice of music analysis, which is basically identifying shapes and patterns in pieces of music, right?

So it's not, it's not particularly difficult. Um, it's not particularly difficult to grasp, but. Everybody saw it as a really academic thing that had no practical use. Now, if you're trying to teach people to play instruments and play pieces of music, what's the one thing you need them to know? Well, you need them to recognise the shapes and the patterns in the pieces of music.

So that was my, I guess my early start in how can we take something that seems a really academic concept and make it practical and useful for people in practice? So, um, so that was all great. But then as um, listeners working in the arts and humanities will know, and particularly if you are in the creative industries like music, there's no money in research in that space.

And it is really hard to stay in research in, um, in the arts and humanities. But that, and that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to keep researching. I wanted to keep finding stuff out. So I ended up, um, going into health research because. Probably, as your listeners would also know, there's quite often quite a lot of money and quite a lot of jobs around in health research.

Mm-hmm. Um, and so I just ended up doing some basic research jobs. Um, but then when I moved to the University of Leeds, I met, um, someone by the name of Susan Hamer, and I don't know if you know, you remember Susan from, um. Probably quite a while back now, but Susan introduced me to the idea of knowledge brokering and knowledge exchange and knowledge transfer, and I thought, oh, well, I'm interested in that.

I'm interested in how we can take academic stuff and make it useful and usable for people. That sounds great. So I just kind of fell into this world and I discovered it was a world, um, that I fitted into and I felt very much part of. And, uh, the rest is history really. I've stayed there. Um, it's a space that I can keep learning, keep being inquisitive, so it suits me really well.

Um, but importantly it's about making a difference with the research that goes on in universities and actually bringing that. Um, to people so that it can have practical benefit. That's my real passion.

Yeah. Fantastic. You know, it's interesting, um, I think, uh, I, I, it, I interviewed Julie Bayley and her, her episode went out, um, this week that we're recording this.

And, um, she's a, a double base player, but, um.

I did not know that.

Yes,

I've known Julie for a while and I did not know that.

It's fascinating what you learn about people. Yes. Isn't, and in the interview I was trying to convince her that, um, 'cause Gemma Derrick in her bio mentions that she has a failed musical theatre career.

So I'm kind of, I I was trying to talk her, um, Julie into getting, uh, getting a band together with, uh, with Gemma. So, so I've now got a, you know, I've now got another potential band mate. Um, that

would be amazing. Yes. You knowledge mobilisation band.

And, and I'm glad you've mentioned that phrase 'cause I, I wanted to kind of help, um, listeners who were new to that term, um, to kind of understand what it is, but also understand your current role.

You know, you, you within a, um, a Business School and, and working in the Department of Management. So how does all that, how does all that fit in? What do we mean by knowledge mobilisation and where does that fit into your current role in that discipline area?

That's a really good question. Um. So you may have noticed that I, when I talked about meeting Susan and getting into this space between research and practice, I, I mentioned the words knowledge brokering, knowledge transfer, um, knowledge exchange.

So there's lots of different words that are put on the end of. Knowledge. So they put after knowledge, um, that are essentially about making a difference with research, um, very often. And, um, but knowledge mobilisation, it actually comes from, originated in Canada, I think. Um, and it's much more about, I, I see it, I suppose, as being about the process of.

Drawing knowledge from different sources, helping people to make sense of that and to use that. And by knowledge from different sources. I mean research, yes, but also lived experience, expertise, um, values, all sorts of different things can be thought of as knowledge. Mm-hmm. And, um, that's the. That's the way that I think about knowledge mobilisation.

It's essentially about bringing people together very often to help them to share and exchange, um, their knowledge from different sources. And the reason that I think about that now, and the reason as well, that actually I'm now in a, um, Department of Management in a Business School is that for me, knowledge is more than research.

I quite often found in the health space that knowledge was equated with research, or research was seen as knowledge. And I suppose over the years my understanding of that has changed. So now I really think about how all forms of knowledge can be brought together in order to help groups of people basically.

Get stuff done and solve tricky problems. Mm-hmm. So that's the way that, that, I tend to tend to think about it, but in many ways, I don't really mind what the second word is. You can use mobilisation, you can use exchange, you can even use transfer if you must. Although it does imply quite a directional relationship.

But the thing that I think is really important to think about is what we mean by knowledge. So it's that first word. So that, that's why I think that's really important. Um, but the nice thing about using a term like knowledge mobilisation is it's fairly encompassing and lots of people can relate to that.

Um, so it is not just about. Research, and it's not just about transfer or pushing research or knowledge to various audiences. It's much more relational. It's much more fluid, it's much more human. So that's why I tend to use the term mobilisation now.

Yeah, absolutely. I think that works really well. 'cause, you know, research impact is a, is a contact sport as some people describe it, isn't it?

Um,

and it sounds like a contact sport, doesn't it? Impact? Yes.

Yeah. We're, we're actually, it's what we mean by that is that relational, um, you know, and, and that you're absolutely right. You know, we as researchers don't live in the system that. Um, that our research might be hoping to change. Mm-hmm. So, so we need to, we need to rely on that knowledge of how that system intimately works rather than our kind of second or third hand, even if we researched it for many years, we don't know it as well as somebody who's just living it.

Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely.

Yeah. Um, so. I think we better get onto the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum. That's a, that's a good segue, I hope, in into that. And, and, um, I wonder if you could take us right back to the start of the forum. So my understanding is that it started in 2014. Is that mm-hmm. Is that right?

Yeah. Um, and I, I think all of the forum programmes are still on the website apart from that first one.

Yes. That's right.

So I had a look at the 2015 and 2016 programs. Mm-hmm. And that was a really stellar list. There was some amazing names on that, including David Phipps. Um, yeah. You know, a, a very well established Canadian knowledge mobilisation expert.

So how did that forum come about and when did you get involved, you know, give us some of that history.

Sure. Okay. So 2014. What's really terrifying now of course, is that that is 11 years ago. That is really scary. Um, but yeah, so the UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum was set up in 2014 by someone called Kathy Howe.

And Kathy was, um, she held a fellowship with the National Institute for Health Research, um, around knowledge mobilisation. She was one of the first knowledge mobilisation fellows in the UK. And Kathy, as part of her fellowship, as many of us who then followed on in these fellowship roles thought that, I know I'll go to Canada.

'cause that's where they talk about this knowledge mobilisation stuff. And of course a lot of us also thought, oh, we'll go and talk to David Phipps because he's big name in this space. So Kathy went over to Canada and went to the Canadian Knowledge Mobilisation Forum. The Canadian Forum, um, was uh, run by someone called Peter Leveque.

Hi Peter, if you're listening. Um, and um, that was, uh, and still is running as, uh, the Canadian Knowledge Mobilisation Forum. And Kathy basically, um, thought, well, why haven't we got one of these in the UK? So Kathy set one up. Um, and very much based on the Canadian model, which had got. At that time, it was quite a lot of, um, different streams really for people who were starting out in knowledge mobilisation.

People who are a bit more aware and had done a bit more work around knowledge mobilisation and people who are experts. So it was based on quite a, um, I guess a seniority or an expertise. You know, space to start with. Um, so that's the reason that people like David Phipps came over to impart their widom and expertise, um, to some of those colleagues in the UK who were just starting out.

Kathy ran that, um, during the length of her fellowship for three years and then her fellowship ended. And, um, when you come to the end of a piece of research or um, a fellowship like that, you've then gotta work out what to do. And Kathy actually went back into, um, her, into managerial practice in the NHS.

And so keeping the forum going was challenging, um, for her. So I became aware that it, the forum might not continue, and I began to wonder whether maybe it should still continue. So I asked some friends, um, in the knowledge mobilisation space, if they thought that it was a valuable thing to continue. And they said, yes, Vicky.

And I said, would you like to help me run it? And they said, no, Vicky.

Um, and at that point we shifted, I guess the focus of the forum a little bit for largely practical reasons I have to say. Um, but uh, yeah, so that was the point that, that I took over and where it originally came from.

Mm-hmm. Brilliant. Just for, uh, potentially international listeners, NIHR,

national Institute for Health Research.

It's the major UK health funder for, um, funder for health research.

Brilliant. Thank you. So Vicky, thanks for giving us that, uh, that quick history lesson and that quick tour. But, um, can you give us a sense of what really makes, um, the Knowledge Mobilisation Forum different, whether it's values, whether it's aims?

Sure. Um, again, I'm gonna say if I had a pound for every time someone said, the UK forum is just really different to anything else I've been to. Again, I'd probably be, well, kind of reasonably rich. Um, the Forum really is a space for people to come together who are working in this. In between space, between research practice and helping to facilitate knowledge and knowledge, um, mobilisation within organisations.

And very often what we find is that people in those kind of roles feel a bit isolated. They're often the only one in an organisation. And so a large part of what we do at the forum, which we basically provide a space for people to come together and find friends, or we try to go with that vibe. So we try to go for a very informal, um, approach.

Very friendly, very open and collaborative. Um, we also try to keep things quite home spun really. And, um, when I first took over the forum, there were good reasons for that in that actually I started, um, I. I took over the forum and the only thing that I actually took over from Kathy was the password to the website.

So, so there was no actual resource, um, to put on a conference or to do any of that. So basically we started from, from scratch. Really? Mm-hmm. With nothing there as a resource. So, um, so what we did was. We made a thing of it being quite home spun and quite low key and quite friendly. We asked people to bring their own snacks with them.

In fact, we asked people to bring snacks with them and then to exchange snacks with other people and share them. And that is where some of the connections within the committee originally started, um, with people finding a shared love of, you know, particular Canadian snacks. Um, so that was one of the things that we did that was really important.

But also from that, I think it's also really fo important for us to focus on sustainability. So sustainability is one of the core values of, um, of us at the forum, but I don't mean just environmental sustainability. Yes, that's important obviously, but we think in terms of, um, the sustainability of relationships, the sustainability of.

The forum as a group and as an organisation. Um, financial sustainability. So I think about sustainability in a very broad way. And then in terms of, um, minimising our impact as well. Obviously on the environment, that's also really important to us. So I'll give away. At the very first forum that I led, um, for all delegates was a packet of seeds.

So, um, that those are the kinds of values that that drive us. And I think also that reflects a lot of the values within the sector of people working in this space.

Yeah, absolutely. I think, um, you know, I, I missed a lot of those early ones. It always seemed to clash with something, you know, some training I was delivering or something like that.

And I used to look at the, you know, the, the tweets that were going on and, and things like that back in the day when it was Twitter. Yeah. And actually a nice place to be, um. Just go, God, I wish I was there. And I, I I love the snack mobilisation forum, you know? Yes. That's that's fantastic.

Yes. And it is, and I've been doing this for quite a while now, so I've been, been chair, um, of the forum for quite a long time, obviously, but every year is different.

Every year I learn so much more from the people coming and the people who are helping to, to run and organise it as well. And it's just such a wonderful, uplifting place to be and such a supportive place to be as well. So it's been wonderful.

Brilliant. And, and I think one of the reasons I joined the organising committee a couple of years ago was to try and make sure I, uh, I, I kind of knew to keep a, a, a dates, dates free to, to help me to get to it.

Um, and, uh, and that. That group of people. It's a real mix of researchers and practitioners and people who are definitely both. And I think it's that, you know, that's part of the blend that makes the whole forum quite different. So can you introduce some of those, uh, some of those people who've been on the bean on or, and maybe left and, and, and the current, the current crop?

Sure. Um, every year the committee seems to grow. Okay. So we have, um, quite a lot of alumni, but also we also, we have a lot of people who have been on the committee for quite a long time as well. And I think that in itself is interesting. 'cause very often with organising committees, people kind of come, ands, just stay for a year or two and, and then, um.

People move on. But actually, um, some people have been with me since the very beginning when I took over, um, organising the forum. So the current person who is the longest standing and longest serving member of the committee is Alison Turner. And, um, Alison actually works in the NHS. And, um, in knowledge management and, and knowledge and, um, evidence, um, use.

So, um, and she's been with me since the very beginning. Um, I also want to give a mention to Lynn Williams. So Lynn was at Bangor University and, and an academic there, and she was, um, on the organising committee in that very first year, um, along with Paul Manners. So some listeners may know Paul from the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement.

And it was just such a wonderful, um, group of people all pulling together to see how we could make this thing happen with no resources. Um, and there was a lot of fun, a lot of laughter, um, and it was. Yeah, absolutely. Wonderful. Um, so Alison's still around, um, someone else who came to that very first forum.

Actually, there's a number of people who came to that very first forum. Um, one of those is Christine Provvidenza. Now Christine works in Holland Bloor View Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in Toronto. And Christine came with her Canadian snacks. So that first forum, and Christine formed a lasting friendship with another member of the committee, Susan Smith, who also loved the Canadian snacks.

Christine bought, there's a real theme here. Um, and Susan's a librarian for mid Cheshire hospitals, um, NHS Foundation Trust. So, you know, so here we've got someone who's in a knowledge translation role, someone who's in a library role, someone who's in a. Kind of a, a commissioning role. And then we had some academics as well.

Um, so academic wise, um, Jane Cloake from the University of Liverpool, um. Probably research adjacent in her role there. Um, Peter Van der Graaf, um, who is at Teeside University (Peter is actually at Northumbria University) and has recently left the committee, but um, was a staunch member for a long time. Um, so those are some of our researchers and then we've got.

Some consultants as well. So Helene Russell has been with us since the beginning of the forum pretty much. Um, and she is a consultant in knowledge management in the legal sector. Mm-hmm. So we have a number of different sectors represented. Health is a heavy focus because of the history of the forum. Mm.

But people working in all sorts of other spaces as well. Um, and I'm sure I have definitely, well. I have definitely missed current committee members. Would you like me to name some more of them?

Yeah, go on. Let's, uh, let's ream them off.

Okay. Ged Hall, obviously yourself at the University of Leeds, Kate Maitland.

Um, Kate works in, um, knowledge mobilisation and evidence for Marie Curie UK, Alison Turner, um, who works for the NHS Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit. I may have got that wrong.

That's definitely all of those, uh, kind of central units change their name quite regularly, don't they? The nhs Yeah, I know.

So

that definitely needs, needs checking. Um, and then we have also got, um, you might have to help me remember now, um, Laura Bea. Who is, um, part of the University's Policy Engagement Network and I can't remember what her role is.

Um, I think it's somewhere along the lines of network manager, isn't it? Or something like that.

Yeah, I think that she is as well, Sarah Jasim, who I can't remember what her role is (Sarah is a Research Fellow at the London School of Economics) . You'll have to ask her. Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin, who works for the Scottish Policy Research Exchange. Yes. Which is a group that helped to connect researchers and policymakers across, um, Scotland.

Yes. And I've interviewed, uh.

Catherine-Rose, uh, with Dave, uh, co-director in, uh, ah, uh, on the podcast. So I'll put that, uh, I'll put that link in the, in the show notes. If you're interested in finding out more about CR

you will know how marvelous she is then.

Yes, yes. Now you mentioned, um. You know, when we were talking about the aims and, and, uh, you know, and the values of the forum, that it is quite different to a, to a traditional style, um, academic conference.

Um, so. may, can you, can you, can you give, this is a difficult question to, to, to answer, but can you give a listener who's never been and maybe never looked to the website, what, what may be the kind of, when we do it online, it's across five days when we do it face to face, it's, it's two days. But what, what does a, what does a con, what does a, what does a forum look like and feel like as a participant?

That is a really great question. What does, uh, what does the forum look and feel like? Um, so. The forum, we run alternate years, one year in person, um, and one year online. The in-person, um, forum runs over two days and is a programme that is packed full of, um, quirky and slightly different content. So we do not have research presentations.

We don't really have presentations, actually, we haven't gone as far as banning PowerPoint, but it is strongly discouraged. Um, what we are aiming to do is give people places to connect. So it's about interactivity. So if we have someone who wants to come and bring a game that they have developed to help people explore.

Different, um, different worlds of policymaking, say then that is great. We would love to have those kinds of things. Um, if somebody has developed a, um, a storybook, a children's storybook, for instance, to share the findings of research also, that is fantastic. So we try to have those kinds of things. Instead of having presentations, we have some slightly more quirky kinds of content.

So one of the things that we have is, um, workshops. So people will typically get 45 minutes to an hour to really explore and share some of their work with people, and not to only share that, but also to get feedback and have interactive discussions about their work. That's really important thing to do.

We have posters, but they are not posters as you know it. We run something called interactive posters, and what these are is people have a poster but. They don't present their poster, so they don't stand and talk about their poster. They don't even necessarily stand next to a poster that is displayed.

What they do is they're interviewed about their poster by a member of the organising committee or by another delegate. Um, and the questions that they're asked are questions that people have left on post-it notes, or if we're online digitally on their posters. So it's much more responsive and to what people want to know and what people are interested in finding out.

Mm-hmm. Um, because otherwise it's just kind of a presentation. And as I said, that's, that's, we try to discourage that as much as possible because we're about conversations. Mm-hmm. Not about, um, kind of the one way sharing of knowledge, but the things that I think everyone loves the most, certainly everyone on the committee loves these the most, are the knowledge fayres.

Now knowledge fayres are 15 minute. Quick fire, um, session where people have an opportunity to share their knowledge mobilisation wares with other delegates. So they might bring a website, they might bring a game, they might bring, um, a picture, they might ask people to do something with them. Um, all kinds of different things have, have happened in that space.

Um, and you could go from finding yourself, um. Having a really deep in-depth discussion about, um, the nature of knowledge and the role of emotions as a form of knowledge. Or you could be playing a, um, a roll dice game to, um, work out where to engage with policy makers. So you could be doing anything in that time, but you get 15 minutes and then everyone moves around.

So. The presenters, the, the stall holders have to basically do it again for a new group of people and then they do it again for another new group of people as everyone moves around. It's organised chaos. Um, it works. In person, but it also works online brilliantly. We just pluck people out of a Zoom room and put them into a next room, and you feel really wicked doing that behind the scenes.

But it is so much fun and it brings such a huge amount of energy and fun to the forum. So that's one of the sessions that we love the very most. And then we do have keynote speakers as well. So we typically have one research keynote speaker and one practice keynote speaker. But again, there we ask people not to just present to people, but to think about what they'd like to learn from delegates as well.

Mm-hmm. And how they can have a conversation to help them to progress their own work rather than just imparting their wisdom and experience to delegates. So it's much more of a two-way thing.

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I must admit. When I was first on the organising committee, I was kind of like, how does that work?

I was like, oh God. It kind, I really slightly nervous. Yeah,

it kind of does, doesn't it?

It does, it does. I, I particularly loved, um, the, one of the first knowledge fayres I, I was put into as a, uh, as a, uh, participant, which was Bring your knowledge mobilisation song. Which was Yes, that was fascinating.

Absolutely fascinating. Especially for somebody who's not musical.

People are so creative as well, and the work they do is so creative and I think the thing that I've loved about the forum is that we provide a space for people to share that kind of stuff. Mm. That actually wouldn't usually have, space wouldn't fit into a more academic style conference.

Mm. Or a more practitioners focused conference either, to be honest. Um, so I think that we do provide that unique space for people who are doing things that are a bit unusual, a bit different. Mm. Um, to help them come somewhere that they can get energised and excited, um, about other people's work, but also about their own work as well.

Yeah. Now this coming year, so 2026, um, is going to be your last, as the chair of the forum. I can, I can see you looking like, so remind me, you're looking like you might, might be regretting that decision now. Yeah. Um, so what are your hopes for the future? Um, and uh, and introduce us to who's taking up the reins.

Yeah, I am regretting it a little bit, but I've been, I've been chairing for quite a long time and it feels like it's time for me to hand the reins over to someone else. Um, I think what I'm hoping is that the Forum continues to be a place that provides a safe space for people working. Between research, knowledge, policy practice between those worlds and within those worlds, a safe space to come to reflect on their work, um, to share innovative practice, to develop thinking, um, and to have fun.

Mm-hmm. That's what I really hope that it, it continues to be now what that looks like, that isn't for me to say. Mm-hmm. And the whole point with the forum is that. Have a large organising committee. And everyone plays a role and everyone shapes the forum to be what it is. So it's not my forum. Um, I don't shape the direction.

I have a spreadsheet that helps things sort of run to time most of the time. But actually it's much more about enabling people to be involved and enabling people to find leadership roles that suit them. So that's what I hope it continues. To be, and I know that there are a number of people staying on the committee, so I'm absolutely sure that that's what it will continue to be.

Um, but we do have some new members joining the committee, um, after, um, well at the moment. And, um, one of those people is the marvelous Catherine-Rose Stocks-Rankin CR as she's known to her friends. Um, I've known CR for a long time. Uh, we originally were knocking about in the space of knowledge brokering, um, together in maybe 20 14, 20 15.

So 10 years going back. And CR is a wonderful, facilitating, open, collaborative, fun person. So a marvelous person to join the committee. Mm-hmm. But also a. I think a marvelous person to be, um, leading that moving forward. And, um, I would say as well that I, no one twisted her arm. She put herself forward to join the committee and to step up as chair.

Ged Hall 00:38:22

Yeah. Fantastic. Uh, I'm, I'm looking forward to that, not to say, um, I'm looking forward to you going, um, that's not what I'm saying. Um, but uh, yeah, I think, uh, CR is, uh, is fantastic. She just has that, um, everybody feels safe and welcome.

Yes, when, whenever she speaks or interacts. And, and I think that's just a, you know, that that will be a, a lovely vibe. Um, yes. Um, that she, she can just. She just naturally exudes, you know? Yes. Um, so,

and I think that word vibe is something that's really important for the forum. Mm-hmm. It's so I can describe what it does, what it looks like, the kinds of presentations and people can look on the website and whatever, but it's really hard to get that vibe across, um, and to explain what that is.

In some ways, you've just gotta be there and, and feel it. Um, yeah. But it is, I think that vibe of. Safety and openness and warmth. Um, yeah. So many of us in this space operate in anyway. Um, and so much of us working in this kind of a space give. So it's nice to have a space that you can receive that as well for yourself.

Yeah, absolutely. And, and, uh, we don't charge a lot for it, so do we. So, you know, it's not a, we don't.

No,

it's not a high risk.

No. That is one of the things about the sustainability, it's about financial sustainability, not only for the forum itself, but also for the people who come. Absolutely. And no one's got any money, let's face it.

Yeah. So we do keep the fees really low, um, for an online, the online version, which runs across five days, two hours each day. Um, I think last year we charged £50, or not even as much, something like that, I can't remember, but it wasn't. It wasn't very much. Um, and we have previously run that for much less as well.

Typically the fee for the, um, in-person has been around 150 pounds for the two days. Um, obviously that doesn't include accommodation or travel or anything, but it is, um, all the content and, um, catering as well. So, and we always make sure we have plenty of cake.

Yes, absolutely. Vicky, thanks for telling us all about the forum.

Now, in terms of this kind of final question, I've started asking this of, of all my guests because it's really, you know, through all these conversations and, and actually, you know, your work and the literature around it's, it's relational. Um, those are the kind of key, most important pathways if we, if we use that phrase to impact, to change to.

Improve lives. So in terms of kind of the people who, who is it that have made knowledge mobilisation and your research in that, in that space? You know, the, the joy, the fun. Who, who do you look to? Who do you kind of go I'm really glad they're around. They really are my people.

Wow. That is a big question.

That's a really big question. Um. I'm gonna, I know that no one can name just one person, so I'm not going to try either. Um, but the first name that springs to mind is, um, Professor Hugh Davies. So, Hugh, um. Some listeners may know his work with Professor Sandra Nutley as well. Both of them are amazing, amazing people, not only incredibly talented researchers.

Um, the first ones really starting to talk about what evidence use actually looked like and what that meant, and it not just being somebody picking something off a shelf and using it. Um, so their work has been incredibly influential on, on me and my career, and I was lucky enough to move to the University of St.

Andrews when Hugh and Sandra were both still working in the department, both have now, unfortunately for me, but very fortunately for them retired. Mm. And are having a whale of a time, um, doing fun things with life. Um, but they have, they were definitely incredibly influential, um, and provided a safe space for me to talk about my research and my aspirations and to start feeling some sense of.

I guess pride in the work that I did and what I could contribute. Um, so they were absolutely amazing and very definitely my people. I've learned a lot from Hugh particularly about, um, relationships and how, and, you know, attitudes to work and things like that, all sorts of things. And finding a good work life balance was incredibly important.

Um, so academics, I would, I would say those people. In terms of the practice, practice space and practice people. There are so many fun people, so many fun people. Catherine-Rose CR is wonderful and I love spending time with her, um, for her wisdom, for her ability to listen, um, for her insight as well. Um, so very glad that she's around.

And Julie Bayley, um, huge amount of fun. Um. Lots of different ways of thinking in this space. Um, so I would say those are some examples of my kind of people. Yeah. And the kinds of people that I would hope to emulate in some way as well, in some tiny way to reflect just how amazing those people are.

Excellent. Well, I'll, um, I'll maybe try and reach out to Hugh and Sandra and see if they, uh.

Oh, you'll be lucky.

I know anybody who's retired. I'm thinking if anybody got in touch with me in three years time and said, do you wanna come on a podcast and talk about research impact? I go, Nope.

Yeah, they'll probably, they'll probably say no.

They'll probably say no. I don't even know if he's in the country now. He is usually cycling around Europe.

Yeah, but at least I've interviewed CR and Julie, so that, yes. Brilliant. That's a good, a good one, Vicky. It's, it's always wonderful to catch up with you. As I said in the intro, I've been a fan since I designed those first research impact workshops back in kind of 20 11, 20 12.

So thank you for agreeing to appear on the podcast and talking about the brilliant, uh, UK Knowledge Mobilisation Forum. And those who are involved in it, and I'll leave you to say goodbye, uh, to our listeners and, and give them the, how do they find out about the forum?

Sure. How do you find out about the forum?

The best way is our website. So our website can be found at, um, knowledge mobilisation with an s. Um, net. So that is https://knowledgemobilisation.net/ is our website address. We've also got a page on LinkedIn. You can find us on there, um, posting intermittently and that you can also email us and our. Email address is on our website.

Intro 00:46:30

Thanks for listening to the Research Culture Uncovered podcast. Please subscribe so you never miss out on our brand new episodes. And if you're enjoying the discussions, give us some love by dropping a five star rating and written review as it helps.

Other research culturalists, find us and please share with a friend and show them how to subscribe. Thanks for listening, and here's to you and your research culture.