KT: why it should be ‘hotter’ than it is

Abstract

Knowledge translation (KT) is a science and a practice, and despite no longer being nascent, it has never achieved ‘hot’ status among STEM fields. Despite 20 years of growing international policy and research attention on reducing the evidence-practice and policy gap, KT and implementation science are not getting the attention they deserve. The ‘hot’ emerging fields are rooted in discovery, but discovery must translate into things we can understand, apply and use. Evidence-based innovations will not reach their potential unless they are accessible, and we can demonstrate how they can be implemented in real-world contexts. Academia has a longstanding laudatory focus on publication at the expense of application and impact, and shifting to a more balanced view is an uphill battle. Our academic institutions and funders, our governments and service provider organisations must put implementation at the forefront of their efforts if we are to realise optimal benefits from our innovations.