Making Connections Outside of Academic Silos

How can researchers think differently about the research process?

This was the question that PhD Candidate Jemma Llewellyn and CESI Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator Caroline Duvieusart-Dery sought to answer in their three-part workshop series, Researchers for Change. This capacity development program, facilitated by an interdisciplinary team of graduate students, was developed to respond to a need identified from a 2021 survey of graduate students at the University of Guelph. Respondents expressed an interest in knowledge mobilization and community engagement; however, 63% of respondents did not know how to access such information or training on campus.

Dave, a PhD Student participant in the School of English and Theatre Studies, expanded on the need for knowledge mobilization (KMb) beyond disciplinary lines. "There is a need to bring scientists and creative people together to learn from each other," Dave explained, because the complex problems the world faces today cannot be solved by "siloed fields." Instead, many graduate students hope for ways to mobilize knowledge across these often disjointed fields and to better engage the public.

With support from the Community Engaged Scholarship Institute (CESI), Caroline and graduate co-facilitators Jemma Llewellyn, annais linares, Naty Tremblay, and Hannah Fowlie developed three sessions specifically targeted towards supporting graduate students to practice knowledge mobilization within and across academic fields. These sessions were also meant to nurture social support networks of graduate students who were interested in critical community-engaged research. Throughout the sessions, facilitators offered examples of doing research 'differently' in ways that were more accessible and inclusive of public voices, and which recognized diverse ways of knowing.

Facilitators were consistently joined by 10-15 graduate students from a range of disciplinary and interdisciplinary fields. The group set out to learn together how to co-create knowledge with the public, instead of doing research about the public. Each session was scaffolded to give students a broad understanding of creative and inclusive community engaged knowledge mobilization and to provide a cohesive network of diverse peers interested in similar engagement strategies.

The first session focused on creative KMb techniques outside of the traditional academic paper. For example, facilitator Hannah Fowlie shared about their dissertation work, which includes a documentary in lieu of a traditional written dissertation. Dave shared their hopes to "remix policy" and envision healthcare futures with queer youth through an art exhibit.

The second session centered around the co-creation of research outside of academic circles. Facilitators Naty Tremblay and Hannah Fowlie reflected on the opportunities and difficulties in engaging in research with the public, in ways which did not 'extract' knowledge for possession by research institutions, but instead co-created new and different ways of flourishing within and outside of traditional research outputs (e.g., published journal articles and conference presentations).

Finally, the third session focused on how graduate students could become actors for change. Students involved throughout the process were invited to share their ideas, as well as their support needs to accomplish their goals in doing critical community-engaged research.

Graduate studies, especially those which utilize creative or critical research methods, can be quite isolating. These sessions, according to participant Dave, created a space of community and offered students "the confidence to keep going" outside of traditional academic silos. Additionally, sessions provided students from different cultural backgrounds (especially international students), "an opportunity to engage with those who are more familiar with the cultural landscape and history of Canada, which is critical when conducting community-engaged research," according to facilitator Jemma Llewellyn.

These pilot sessions acted as a platform for further conversations between disciplines and have been instrumental in CESI's planning for future capacity development. Moving forward, CESI's plans will focus on relationship-building and knowledge sharing across a more diverse range of academic fields. Additionally, by nurturing spaces for trans- and cross- disciplinary work, graduate students can learn how to work with diverse knowledges and viewpoints, which will support them in working with communities in a truly collaborative manner.

Dr. Elizabeth Jackson, CESI Director, noted, "we're really pleased with the interest and impact of these pilot sessions. They helped us to confirm that there's a real need and appetite for relational and integrated approaches to KMb, and we're eager to continue to work to increase capacity on campus for creative and critically-informed KMb, including through our recently-updated Certificate in KMb."

These workshops – focusing on the community aspect of community engaged research – helped to nurture innovative frameworks within academia that prioritize the needs and expertise of the public, instead of keeping research firmly within the academic institution.