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Keywords

research-practice partnerships, knowledge mobilization, third sector, nonprofit research, academic-practitioner collaboration, evidence-based practice, ISTR

Abstract

This article presents the strategic vision and comprehensive action plan of the International Society for Third Sector Research (ISTR) Research for Practice (R4P) Affinity Group, established to address the persistent gap between academic research and nonprofit practice in the third sector. Recognizing that practitioners are primarily focused on action and problem-solving while academics concentrate on knowledge accumulation and theory building, the R4P initiative creates a systematic framework for enhanced collaboration to maximize societal impact and advance evidence-informed practice. The R4P model employs a multi-dimensional approach through seven specialized sub-committees—Advocacy, Education & Training, Practitioner Engagement & Matchmaking, Research Accessibility and Sharing, Funding/Resourcing, and Support for the Pracademic Development Initiative—each operating with specific objectives and measurable outcomes designed to foster reciprocal knowledge exchange and sustainable partnerships. The initiative identifies key barriers to effective collaboration including power dynamics, divergent expectations regarding outcomes and timeframes, resource limitations, and institutional constraints, while proposing systematic interventions to overcome these challenges. Strategic activities include advocating for institutional policy changes that incentivize collaborative research, developing practitioner-accessible research dissemination channels including multilingual content, creating formal matchmaking platforms and networking opportunities, establishing special journal issues focused on research-for-practice applications, and supporting community-university partnership funding mechanisms that prioritize collaborative approaches. This framework contributes significantly to the knowledge mobilization and research utilization literature by providing the first comprehensive, internationally-focused model for systematically bridging third-sector research and practice through a collaborative affinity group structure. The initiative's emphasis on reciprocal learning and co-creation of knowledge challenges traditional unidirectional knowledge transfer models, offering concrete mechanisms for practitioners to access relevant research, engage in collaborative inquiry, and contribute to research agenda setting while providing academics with pathways to ground their work in real-world contexts and enhance practical relevance. By strengthening research-practice partnerships through this multi-pronged approach that addresses structural, cultural, and resource barriers, the R4P initiative aims to enhance the nonprofit sector's capacity to address complex societal challenges through evidence-informed practice and practice-informed research, ultimately contributing to more effective social interventions and policy development across diverse geographic and organizational contexts.

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