Knowledge Mobilization

Knowledge mobilization is putting available knowledge into active service to benefit society. It may be knowledge that has been gathered through systematic study or through experience. Both the research knowledge and experiential wisdom are worth sharing to the benefit of others. It is an obligation and a right to share and to have access to beneficial knowledge.

As a matter of course, knowledge is shared among people, among experts and between people and the experts in many forums. Yet much knowledge does not reach those who need it in order to make better decisions that would benefit themselves, their family, community or the society at large, at national and global levels.

"Knowledge mobilization" is a proactive process to ensure that knowledge, especially that created through publicly funded programs, is informed by needs and reaches the intended audience. A detailed definition of knowledge mobilization, in relation to other practices such as community engagement, can be found on the website of the : Institute for Community Engaged Scholarship.

The term gained wider use following the publication of the evaluation report of the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) program of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) in 2004. This led SSHRC to create a division of Knowledge Products and Mobilization to enhance and accelerate the movement of research findings into policy and program development.