Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization (KxM) Scholar pilot program wrapup

In June 2025, the inaugural cohort of the UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit’s Knowledge Exchange and Mobilization (KxM) Scholar program completed their term. When we announced this pilot in November 2022, we envisioned a bold initiative: to build capacity and culture around KxM across disciplines and strengthen UBC’s position as a leader in this field. Designed to support faculty in research and educational leadership professoriate streams, the KxM Scholars Program offered targeted support to champion institution-wide knowledge exchange. The aim: to embed KxM more deeply into Faculties and Schools and ultimately, into the fabric of UBC’s research culture. 

The program launched in 2023 with the announcement of the first cohort of Scholars  —  based in the Schools of Nursing and Social Work and the Faculty of Education at UBC Vancouver, and the Faculty of Health and Social Development at UBC Okanagan. The pilot was a catalyst to formalize and elevate KxM practice and scholarship at UBC, while demonstrating how sustained investment in academic leadership can drive interdisciplinary collaboration and community impact. 

The Inaugural Cohort: 

Dr. Sandra Lauck
Dr. Barbara Lee
Dr. Jasmin Ma
Dr. Michelle Lee

By fostering a culture that values and prioritizes meaningfully engaged and effective knowledge exchange and mobilization, our Scholars aimed to accelerate UBC’s ability to generate impactful research and facilitate its application for the benefit of society. As the program concludes, we invited the Scholars to reflect on their experiences and share feedback and recommendations on the program’s outcomes and future direction.

Scholar Activities  

Over a two-year period, Scholars were provided financial and institutional support to:  

  • engage in a community of practice with other KxM Scholars for support and collaboration;
  • implement KxM activities including workshops, small group learning events, or creating Faculty/School-wide communities of practice;  
  • provide peer-mentorship to up-and-coming KxM leaders; and
  • participate in and complete several UBC Kx courses.

In addition, Scholars conducted needs assessments — including surveys and focus groups within their Faculties — to better understand the barriers and opportunities for advancing KxM at UBC. Together, they are co-authoring a manuscript that reflects on institutional needs and offers recommendations to better support KxM as an integrated and valued part of academic work. 

Scholars' Experience 

Career Impact
  • The funding support enabled them to protect time and balance competing responsibilities.
  • The Scholar designation provided professional credibility, enhancing their ability to advocate for the value of “non-traditional” scholarship, and contributing to the tenure and application process.
  • Participation reframed the relationship between teaching and research, encouraging a more equitable valuation of both. 

"This program demonstrates that the university can champion knowledge that is co-created with communities, that moves beyond publication metrics, and directly informs practice, policy, and social change.” Barbara Lee

Program Experience and Culture
  • The long-term structure fostered sustained engagement and deeper collaboration.
  • The interdisciplinarity of the cohort broke down Faculty silos, sparking new connections and opportunities.
  • A culture of mutual mentorship replaced traditional academic competitiveness with openness and generosity. 

 

"The long-term structure fostered meaningful collaboration and provided a place for the skilled KxM staff and faculty to learn together and, from this base, extend our learning to programming for students and faculty.” Michelle Stack

Institutional Impact 
  • Formally recognizing KxM work demonstrates UBC's leadership in valuing diverse forms of scholarship and community impact.
  • Encouraged cross-disciplinary dialogue and fresh approaches to research and teaching.
  • Scholars’ increased visibility and recognition increased their accessibility to students, providing enriching learning and mentorship opportunities.
  • A new, advanced KxM course was developed — the Research to Impact Fellowship.

"The Research to Impact Fellowship, an advanced-level, professional development micro certificate designed to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows as future knowledge mobilization specialists, is already helping build a pipeline of talent for potential roles in government, non-profits, and academia.” Jasmin Ma

Personal and Professional Growth
  • Participants reported a strong sense of belonging and professional identity.
  • Opened conversations with students and colleagues about the boundaries and potential of scholarly work. 

“It was a powerful door-opener that allowed me to champion the science and practice of KxM in health care locally, nationally and internationally … The KxM initiative has helped me grow the reach of my research program and strengthen the path for nurses to follow a clinical scientist path.” Sandra Lauck

Overall, the program was described as transformative — a critical intervention that enhanced their ability to pursue innovative, community-engaged, and interdisciplinary work with confidence and institutional backing.

What's Next?

In the wake of the pilot program’s success, the Knowledge Exchange team is exploring ways to advance the program and how to scale it broadly in order to serve all faculty engaged in KxM across UBCs Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.  We are reflecting on: how to maintain the elements of Kx scholarship (not just practice) in this program; how to ensure inclusion of diverse scholarship and disciplines; how to maximize the benefits of cross-disciplinary cohorts without losing the benefits of disciplinary alignments in the way we think about and do Kx; and how to best use this program to recognize and uplift the work of faculty engaged in KxM scholarship and practice.

Over the coming months, we will be reaching out to faculty and staff across UBC to gather ideas and wisdom about the future of the KxM Scholars Program. If you would like to join the conversation, please reach out, we would love to hear from you! 

Join the conversation

 

 

Program Objectives:

 Develop KxM capacity among faculty, staff and students.
 

 Model collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to research methods.
 

 Build a common language for KxM across disciplines.
 

 Advocate for structural change in the university.

 

Work to establish KxM as a central ethical practice at UBC, thereby enhancing the university's capacity to collaborate with communities (local to global) in accelerating the responsible exchange and application of knowledge.

Program Deliverables:

 The KxM Research to Impact Fellowship program

 The Knowledge Exchange Podcast: Showcases community-university partnerships led by UBC social work scholars and their partners.

 Faculty/School-level courses and lectures:

  • EDST 508A 941 (Faculty of Education): Moving from Knowing to Informed Collective Action

  • UBC BSN Lecture: Putting Research into Practice: Evidence-based Practice and Practice-Close Evidence

  • UBC MSN Curriculum Additions:

    • Knowledge Translation in Action: Examples from Clinical Practice

    • The Power of Knowledge Translation: Influencing Health Policy to Improve Access and Quality of Care

  • UBC PhD Nursing Additions:

    • Growing KT Competencies in the PhD program

    • Knowledge Translation and Health Policy (lecture)

  • SOWK 554C 002 (Social Work): Introduces KxM fundamentals, with a Term 2 focus on developing practice-relevant KT strategies.

 
Knowledge Exchange signature UBC Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity

Part of the VP Research & Innovation portfolio

UBC Knowledge Exchange Unit

101-6190 Agronomy Road
Vancouver, British Columbia Canada V6T 1Z3
E-mail kx.support@ubc.ca

UBC receives support for managing its research enterprise from the federal Research Support Fund.

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