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The National Academies

NCHRP 23-30 [Active]

Strategies to Improve Application of Research Results in the Research Life Cycle

  Project Data
Funds: $400,000
Staff Responsibility: David M. Jared
Research Agency: CALSTART
Principal Investigator: Manali Sheth
Effective Date: 12/14/2023
Completion Date: 12/13/2025

BACKGROUND 

State departments of transportation (DOTs) have invested a significant amount of effort to support the implementation of applied transportation research results. However, research results often go unused, or the adoption of the results is incomplete. There is also some concern among state DOTs that the value of research is not commensurate with the investment, which could hinder future investment and ultimately innovation within the transportation community. 

The incomplete adoption of applied research results in the implementation phase is not unique to transportation. To address this problem, the health and education sectors have used “knowledge translation” (KT), a knowledge management practice that maps the research life cycle from ideation to implementation, evaluates research products, and incorporates the adoption of research results in real-world settings. The transportation sector has explored elements of KT as part of an overall effort to increase the speed of research implementation but has focused only on segments of the research life cycle. 

Application of KT to the entire research life cycle can provide the means to consider and address the human and organizational aspects of implementation in each life cycle segment, examining each segment to identify weaknesses and opportunities for intervention to improve adoption. This broader application of KT, however, as a knowledge management strategy has yet to be explored. Research is needed to examine the application of KT to the entire transportation research life cycle and help state DOTs develop resources for this application to improve the value of research and the adoption of research results. 

OBJECTIVE 

The objective of this research is to develop resources that support state DOTs in the application of KT to the research lifecycle. The resources developed should provide the following: 

  • Definition of KT and explanation of (1) KT practices, including participants, activities, and resources needed at each stage of the KT life cycle; and (2) the relationship between KT and transportation research implementation;
  • Comparison of current transportation research models with the KT life cycle to identify leverage points, improvement opportunities, and potential barriers; and 
  • Identification of strategic actions to promote KT practices within the transportation research life cycle to improve implementation of research results. 

STATUS: Research is in progress. 

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