Lessons from coordinating a knowledge-exchange network for connecting research, policy and practice

This article explores ten lessons learnt by the UK knowledge-exchange network, the Adaptation and Resilience in the Context of Change (ARCC). The lessons signpost the importance of ‘soft skills’ required for the development of effective knowledge exchange and indicate the need for a broad definition of knowledge exchange that allows for a flexible approach to meet the diverse and changing needs of research, policy and practice. Such flexibility will also encompass collaborative research conducted with business, consultancy, training, start-ups and commercialization components. The ten lessons here will be valuable to: networks and individual academics undertaking knowledge exchange to achieve research excellence and impact with non-academic audiences; those undertaking public engagement and stakeholder engagement with research; and government policymakers and research managers tasked with shaping and implementing the UK’s proposed Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF).