The academic-practitioner research dance: Synergistic research collaborations in emergency management

The management of emergencies and disasters depends, in part, upon the synergy between academic researchers and practitioners. This paper considers the historical roots of the divide between these groups and situates the research-practitioner divide within the growing complexity of disasters, as well as the theoretical foundations that support collaborative synergies that can lead to meaningful research and partnership opportunities. For academic researchers, the goals of higher education, tenure and promotion structures and incentives, and the complexities of regulatory requirements can inhibit the development of sustained partnerships with practitioners. For practitioners, engagement with academic researchers can be constrained by organizational demands, mission, and leadership priorities, and compliance with legal standards and regulations. Despite these constraints, shifts in perspectives on the value of research and expectations for research create new opportunities to close the divide between academic researchers and practitioners. This paper argues that communities of practice, composed of practitioners, boundary-spanning professionals, and academic researchers, offer a pathway for fostering collaboration and research synergy in the emergency management discipline.