Research interests
The creation of new knowledge has its own value, but it is also driven by the researcher’s desire to make a difference in some way to the larger society. For that to happen, research results have to find their way to the people who can put them to use: policy makers, practitioners, the private sector, and the public. Knowledge mobilisation is the study and practice of research impact. My work in knowledge mobilisation (also called knowledge transfer, translation, exchange, and management) began as Director of Research Works! for child literacy, a Community-University Research Alliance funded by Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). As I expanded my work in knowledge transfer beyond the field of literacy, I co-founded the Canadian Centre for Knowledge Mobilisation. With colleagues and students from across Canada, we create innovative and efficient tools, techniques, and products to bring information and research findings to stakeholders in health, education, and social services. At Knowledge Impact Strategies Consulting Ltd, we develop knowledge transfer services and products for organizations such as the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, and the BC Health of Population Networks. The growing need for professionals trained in knowledge transfer has led the Faculty of Arts to create graduate courses, research projects, and Canada's UWaterloo Science Shop. This work is featured in my video interview for The Mark. The UWaterloo Science Shop is part of a global network of students and faculty who donate their research skills to benefit local communities.
Selected publications
- Bloom, K. (2014, June). Putting research to work for the community. Academic Matters, 23-26.
- Bloom, K., & Tam, J. (in press). Walk-in services for child and family mental health. Journal of Systemic Therapies.
- Bloom, K., & Tam, J. (in press). Commentary on promoting the use of Science in Psychology: A knowledge mobilization model for increasing evidence-based practice. Canadian Psychology.