Written by Margarida Rodrigues, Research Strategy Facilitator at the University of Cambridge.
My name is Margarida Rodrigues, and I am a Research Strategy Facilitator at the University of Cambridge. I recently attended the PraxisAuril Conference 2024 in Blackpool, and prior to that, the Introduction to Knowledge Exchange course.
I was fortunate to have colleagues from other departments share information about the Advocate tickets. They had attended previous PraxisAuril conferences and encouraged me to apply, praising the event. I knew it would be an excellent opportunity to connect with a network of KE practitioners, policymakers, and businesses, gain first-hand insights into field developments, and learn best practices.
The conference environment was both relaxed and stimulating, facilitating easy conversations and highly engaging discussions. The programme was well-structured, with particularly interesting keynote sessions. The diversity of topics discussed was valuable as I am still familiarising myself with the field's main challenges and hot topics.
I particularly enjoyed the initial talk, "The State of the Nation," by Andy Westwood and Alun Francis, and found the sessions "Strategies and Approaches for Academic Engagement" and "Evidencing the Impact of KE Metrics" very insightful and useful for my current role. On the second day, I liked "Deal or No Deal? Optimising the Spinout Process" and "Tales from the Frontline: Redefining Knowledge Exchange." The examples shared were both interesting and inspiring.
The lack of support structures for KE practitioners and the challenges in engaging with academics were issues discussed during the conference that I could relate to. The main insights I gained included efforts toward formalizing the KE profession, the importance of better communication about KE, the development of improved KE metrics, and the necessity of showcasing impact studies to the public.
I now have a better understanding of the national KE landscape, various models, and different challenges. Hearing about specific case studies and models, and their outcomes, was very useful. I have gained insights that I can apply in my role, particularly strategies for engaging with academics and the importance of communicating impact cases to the public.
Overall, attending the PraxisAuril Conference 2024 and the Introduction to Knowledge Exchange course was essential for my training. I am now better positioned to drive KE and impact activities in my job. I feel more confident discussing KE, commercialisation, partnerships, policymaking, and public engagement. I can better communicate the importance and advantages of conducting KE and research impact activities in an academic setting, emphasising their significance for career progression for academics.
Margarida Rodrigues
Research Strategy Facilitator, University of Cambridge