Integrated Knowledge Translation for Social Innovations: Case Study on Knowledge Translation Innovation Incubator

The Knowledge Translation Innovation Incubator (KTII) initiative, launched by the Knowledge Translation program of the CHILD-BRIGHT Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Network, provided funding support for researchers and partners to experiment with various approaches and strategies to support the development of innovative knowledge translation (KT) research in the context of neurodevelopmental disabilities.

We aimed to describe the process and contexts of innovation development in integrated knowledge translation (iKT) practices in patient-oriented research.

We applied an iKT practice to conduct the collective case study of 7 KTII-funded projects. We interviewed 10 researchers, 4 research trainees, 2 clinicians, 2 parentpartners, 2 patient-partners (1 adult and 1 youth), 1 community partner, 1 KT specialist, 1 designer, and 1 research program manager at the middle and the end of the project period. We conducted qualitative content analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research to identify and assess patterns of determinants of (1) drivers of innovation, (2) facilitators and barriers to innovation development, and (3) enablers for sustainability of KT products.

Innovative KT was majorly driven by the identified know-do gap to meet the needs of people with lived experience. Outer setting constructs, such as funding and partnerships and connections, were not only drivers but also facilitators to innovation development. iKT practices presented in this case study were fostered by researchers' approach to participatory design, involving iterations of listening to emerging ideas and feedback of patient-partners and other partners, and researchers' continuous reflections on their roles in knowledge creation. Despite the challenges in building consensus and the limited time of the fluid process, researchers' strong passion for engagement and value placed on lived experience led to flexible engagement and open communication to create KT products. Intangible outcomes included further relationships at individual and organizational levels, capacity building of young people, and a collective voice to influence communities. Sustainment of the KT products requires not only accessibility and adaptability of the product itself but also mechanisms at inner settings, such as training, continued interest of patient-partners and the community, and institutional partnerships to support the further uptake of the product.

This study illustrates the critical roles of researchers in addressing power dynamics and making the research partners' tacit knowledge visible for successful innovative KT. The research landscape should also change in terms of funding and timeline in order to foster researchers' mental models in designing thinking and actions on collaborative research engagement.