Amplifying Research

46. Research Translation: Dr Jaelea Skehan on why proving something works is just the start

View the full show notes, including a summary of practical tips on the Amplifying Research website: https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/46-jaelea-skehan [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/46-jaelea-skehan]    You've done the research. You've run the trial. You've published the paper. So why isn't anything changing? Dr Jaelea Skehan has spent more than 25 years translating research into real-world programs in mental health and suicide prevention — and she's seen firsthand why so many evidence-based innovations never make it past the journal. In this episode, she makes a compelling case that proving something works is just the beginning, and shares hard-won lessons from programs spanning 18 months to 25 years on what it actually takes to get research into practice — and keep it there. Jaelea [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaelea-skehan-oam-2a720323/] is the Director of Everymind [https://everymind.org.au/] and was awarded an Order of Australia medal for her work in community mental health. A psychologist, researcher, and policy advisor, she leads a multidisciplinary team that does what she calls "priority-led research" — designing programs not for journals, but for the systems and people they need to serve. Her PhD focused on what actually works when trying to change practice in sectors outside of health, built on Everymind's decades of implementation experience. What makes Jaelea's perspective distinctive is that she lives at the intersection of research, practice, and community — and she's unflinching about what she's seen from that vantage point. She argues that the system incentivises proving things work in controlled settings while neglecting the messy, relational work of getting them into practice. And she backs it up with detailed case studies from programs her team has built, implemented, evaluated, and adapted over decades. "All of the work and all of the effort you put into designing a program and proving that it works or that it's got some good outcomes… It is not the end of the journey. If anything, it's a ticket to the starting line." — Dr Jaelea Skehan This episode is essential listening for anyone who cares about whether research actually reaches the people it's meant to help — whether you're designing interventions, funding them, evaluating them, or trying to get them implemented. If you've ever felt frustrated by the gap between evidence and practice, Jaelea offers both a diagnosis and a way forward.   Our conversation covers: * Why the research-practice gap in mental health and suicide prevention is a matter of life and death — and what it's doing to public trust in research * The voltage drop: why interventions that work in controlled trials lose effectiveness in the real world * Why proving something works is "a ticket to the starting line, not the end of the journey" * Designing for the implementation environment, not just the innovation itself * The Mindframe program: 25 years of lessons on changing media reporting of suicide across an entire sector * Why resources and guidelines don't change practice on their own — and what does * Designing for 80% alignment rather than word-perfect evidence translation * Co-producing with lived experience advisors and disseminating findings to the people who need them before publishing in journals * Priority-led research vs investigator-led research: how Everymind decides where to put its effort * How to think about evaluation and evidence-building when your funding comes in two-year cycles * What senior researchers and funders can do to set up the next generation to work differently   Find Jaelea online: * LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaelea-skehan-oam-2a720323/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaelea-skehan-oam-2a720323/] * Everymind — https://everymind.org.au [https://everymind.org.au/]   Things mentioned: * Episode 39: Implementation Science — Dr Robyn Mildon on the 17-year research-practice gap [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/39-robyn-mildon] * Episode 36: Practical Impact Planning and Evaluation — Dr Sarah Morton on the Matter of Focus framework [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/36-sarah-morton] * Everymind – www.everymind.org.au [http://www.everymind.org.au/] * Lived experience workshop reports - Workshop outcomes from a Lived Experience of Suicide Summit | Everymind [https://everymind.org.au/research/workshop-outcomes-from-a-lived-experience-of-suicide-summit] * Mindframe program [https://mindframe.org.au/] * Our stories matter resources: Sharing lived and living experiences of suicide publicly [https://mindframe.org.au/our-stories-matter] * Our stories matter: a mixed methods survey of lived and living experience perspectives of media and public communication of suicide in Australia | BMJ Public Health [https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/1/e004225] * Minds Together – www.mindstogether.org.au [http://www.mindstogether.org.au/] * Conversations Matter – www.comversationsmatter.org.au [http://www.comversationsmatter.org.au/] * Life in Mind – www.lifeinmind.org.au [http://www.lifeinmind.org.au/] * Life in Mind Implementation Hub - Suicide prevention implementation hub [https://lifeinmind.org.au/research/suicide-prevention-implementation-hub] * Centre for Evidence and Im [http://www.comversationsmatter.org.au/]plementation [https://ceiglobal.org/]

45. From Problems to Possibilities: Dickon Bonvik-Stone on value-based communication and how it helped reframe the degrowth conversation

View the full show notes, including a summary of practical tips on the Amplifying Research website: https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/45-dickon-bonvik-stone [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/45-dickon-bonvik-stone]     There's so much research that could genuinely make the world better — healthier communities, smarter policy, a more sustainable planet. And yet, when it comes to getting people to actually listen and act on that research, we often default to explaining harder or criticising current practices. Neither of which tend to work. Dickon Bonvik-Stone joins us to share how the NØKO team found success taking a radically different approach, and how we can use the AIM framework to bring hope to our own research communications. Dickon [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickonbonvikstone/] is a strategic communications specialist focusing on climate and social change. He spent 15 years in marketing and digital media before retraining with advanced degrees in sustainability and social change — and committing to bridging the gap between marketing expertise and the social change space. He led the communications module of UNCC Learn's Becoming a Climate Champion learning pathway, distributed to more than 1 million youth climate advocates, and created the foundational climate communications e-learning course for the Creatives for Climate community — a network of more than 50,000 marketing and advertising professionals committed to using their skills for good. He also hosts the Communicating Climate Change [https://communicatingclimatechange.com/] podcast, where he interviews experts at the intersection of communication and climate action. In this epis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickonbonvikstone/]ode, Dickon unpacks how he and the NØKO [https://www.xn--nko-0na.no/] team took a different approach to communicating about degrowth economics — leading with aspiration instead of argument — and sold out a major event that brought activists, economists, public servants, and business leaders into the same room. He walks us through the AIM framework (Audience, Intent, Message) and makes a compelling case for why the most important step in any communication effort is the one most people skip. "If you lead with the things that the changes you're promoting can actually create in society, the opportunity that they provide, people are able to follow a lot more easily." — Dickon Bonvik-Stone This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants their communications to actually shift behaviour, not just inform. --- Our conversation covers: * Why "more information" rarely leads to behaviour change — and what to do instead * The AIM framework: Audience, Intent, Message — and why message comes last * Building audience personas based on values and psychographics, not just demographics * Finding common values across very different audience segments * How the NØKO team attracted activists, economists, public servants, and business leaders to the same event * Hope-based communications: shifting from what you're against to what you're for * Why "Degrowth. It's not what you think." is a masterclass in what not to do * Show, don't tell — using aspirational imagery and video to set the tone before a single slide is shown * The tension between domain experts wanting technical accuracy and communicators pushing for clarity * Testing messages instead of guessing — and building internal support for doing so * Why working with communicators and creatives is an investment, not a luxury --- Find Dickon online: * LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickonbonvikstone/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dickonbonvikstone/] * Communicating Climate Change podcast — https://communicatingclimatechange.com [https://communicatingclimatechange.com/] --- Things mentioned: * Dickon’s LinkedIn post that inspired this episode [https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dickonbonvikstone_degrowth-wellbeingeconomy-postgrowth-activity-7347943289695670272-sIeW?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAv9AQMBiS66J-opp4Vqd1nxNyHD_eSak2A] * NØKO [https://www.xn--nko-0na.no/] * Hope-based communications with Thomas Coombes (Communicating Climate Change episode) [https://communicatingclimatechange.com/podcast/hope-based-communications-with-thomas-coombes] * Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard — Chip and Dan Heath [https://heathbrothers.com/switch/] * Don't Think of an Elephant — George Lakoff [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13455.Don_t_Think_of_an_Elephant_Know_Your_Values_and_Frame_the_Debate] * Less Is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World — Jason Hickel [https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more] * Houston, We Have a Narrative — Randy Olson [https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25245928-houston-we-have-a-narrative] * The Psychology of Collective Climate Action [https://www.routledge.com/The-Psychology-of-Collective-Climate-Action-Building-Climate-Courage/Hamann-Junge-Blumenschein-Dasch-Wernke-Bleh/p/book/9781032905280?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=P7986470147_ECOMMC_cross-network&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20916850201&gbraid=0AAAAACwvVorafCVrHv9G5phwQOKySjXvu&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4PPNBhD8ARIsAMo-iczwc2UG6nWzG1xojEwaP_zA-SnZL3m3iFJvhY8rz4rK05MJ7U9HluIaAiCLEALw_wcB] * Climate Visuals (Climate Outreach) [https://www.climatevisuals.org/] * Episode 12: Dr Mark Boulet on behaviour change [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/12-dr-mark-boulet] * Episode 24: Dr Jennifer Beckett and Dr Eloise Faichney on boosting engagement with marketing know-how [podcast/24-jennifer-becket-eloise-faichney] * Episode 32: Brendon Bosworth on finding the right training approach for your team [podcast/32-brendon-bosworth] * Episode 35: Professor John C. Besley on strategic science communication [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/35-john-c-besley] *

44. Impact Literacy: A/Prof Julie Bayley on why just expecting impact isn't the same as enabling it

Read along here [https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/impact-literacy-workbook.pdf] as Julie and I step through the Impact Literacy Workbook [https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/impact-literacy-workbook.pdf].   View the full show notes, including a summary of practical tips on the Amplifying Research website: https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/44-julie-bayley [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/44-julie-bayley]  A/Prof Julie Bayley is one of the world's leading voices on research impact, and she's on a mission to make sure that the pathway from academic inquiry to meaningful societal change isn't just left to chance. She joins us to unpack impact literacy — a practical framework and step-by-step workbook that helps researchers find their place in the impact puzzle, and helps institutions build the culture to make it all possible. Julie [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-bayley-impact/] is currently the Director of Research Impact and Culture at Northeastern University London. Previously, she was Director of Research Impact Development and Director of the Lincoln Impact Literacy Institute, both at the University of Lincoln, UK. She's the author of Creating Meaningful Impact: The Essential Guide to Developing an Impact Literate Mindset [https://bookstore.emerald.com/creating-meaningful-impact.html], one of Emerald Publishing's bestselling books of 2023. Julie's passion for impact is deeply personal. A blood clot in 2008 left her unable to walk without pain for ten years — until research-developed vascular stents gave her mobility back. That experience cemented her commitment to ensuring research reaches the people who need it. Together with David Phipps [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjphipps/] (Director of Research Impact Canada [https://researchimpact.ca/] and Assistant Vice President, Research Strategy and Impact at York University), Julie has developed a suite of freely available tools including the Impact Literacy Workbook [https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/impact-literacy-workbook.pdf] and the “Are you Impact Healthy?” Institutional Health Check Workbook [https://researchinsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AreYouImpactHealthy-BayleyPhipps2020.pdf] — practical resources designed to help researchers and institutions plan for, deliver, and evaluate impact. "The more we put impact as an extra, a burdensome extra, the less we're going to grow it, the less change we're going to make, and the more ill-equipped our researchers will be to do it… In academia, we have the most incredible opportunity to make a difference… Impact literacy is not about being an impact expert. It’s is being able to judge where you fit into that picture." — Julie Bailey This episode is essential listening for anyone responsible for driving or supporting research impact — whether you're an individual researcher trying to understand where you fit, a team leader building impact capability, or an institutional leader looking to create a culture where impact is genuinely enabled, not just expected.   Our conversation covers: * The impact literacy model: why, how, who, and what * Walking through the Impact Literacy Workbook step by step: from framing your problem to assembling your impact plan * Why researchers should start thinking about impact much earlier than they typically do * Identifying stakeholders and beneficiaries — and why it's about assembling the right team, not listing everyone * Why jumping straight to methods ("we'll build an app") is the wrong approach to knowledge mobilisation * Co-producing impact: bringing stakeholders in as early as possible * The skills researchers need — and why you don't need all of them yourself * What a healthy impact culture looks like at the institutional level * The five C's framework: commitment, connectivity, co-production, competencies, and clarity * Using the institutional health check to diagnose priorities and track progress * Why the approach to impact in an institution is often a mirror of leadership's view of it   ind Julie online: * LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-bayley-impact [https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-bayley-impact] * Website — https://juliebayley.blog [https://juliebayley.blog/]     Resources mentioned: * Impact Literacy Workbook [https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/sites/default/files/2025-02/impact-literacy-workbook.pdf] * “Are you Impact Healthy?” Institutional Health Check Workbook [https://researchinsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/AreYouImpactHealthy-BayleyPhipps2020.pdf] * Creating Meaningful Impact: The Essential Guide to Developing an Impact Literate Mindset [https://bookstore.emerald.com/creating-meaningful-impact.html] * Research Impact Glossary (CERCA) [https://researchimpact.ca/wp-content/uploads/Glossary_October_2024.pdf] * Relationships for Impact framework [https://chrispahlowconsulting.squarespace.com/rfi]

43. Career Transitions: Sofia Oliveira on what 140 job applications taught her about life after academia

View the full show notes, including a summary of practical tips on the Amplifying Research website: https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/43-sofia-oliveira [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/43-sofia-oliveira]    What if leaving academia isn't failure – but the path to work that actually fulfils you? Sofia Oliveira finished her PhD, spent six months applying for 140 jobs, and discovered a career in science communication that she finds more rewarding than anything she experienced in the lab. She joins us to share the real numbers behind her transition, the mindset shifts that made it possible, and how LinkedIn became her secret weapon for finding opportunities. Sofia is a science communication and marketing specialist focusing on life sciences, biotech startups, and nonprofits. After completing her PhD in 2021 and working as a project manager at university, she made the leap to industry in 2023 – tracking every application, interview, and offer along the way. Today she's a freelancer with over 10,000 LinkedIn followers, where she regularly shares remote job opportunities to help other researchers explore their options. "To be honest, I am much happier now than when I was back at academia, and I think that's all about it. You know, you want your career to be fulfilling and that looks different for different people. But for me, what I'm doing now, it's fulfilling." – Sofia Oliveira Whether you're a PhD student wondering what comes next, an early-career researcher eyeing the grim odds of landing a professorship, or simply curious about what else is out there, this episode offers honest data, practical strategies, and a refreshing perspective on career exploration. ... If you enjoy this episode and want to go deeper, check out Sofia’s Career Hub on Patreon [https://patreon.com/Oliveira_ss] – featuring the actual CVs she used to land interviews, live Q&A sessions, and group mentoring. ... Our conversation covers: * The stigma around leaving academia – and how to move past it * Sofia's job hunting data: 140 applications, 11% interview rate, 8 offers * How academic success rates (grants, professorships) compare to industry job hunting * Types of roles researchers can transition into: science communication, technical writing, project management, consulting, and more * How to identify and articulate your transferable skills * The case for applying while you're still employed * Freelance vs part-time vs full-time: finding the model that suits you * Building a LinkedIn presence that attracts opportunities (in just 2-3 hours per week) * Why treating your career like an experiment might be the most scientific approach ... Find Sofia online: * LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliveira-ss [https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliveira-ss] * Sofia’s Career Hub on Patreon — https://patreon.com/Oliveira_ss [https://patreon.com/Oliveira_ss]

42. Gathering with Purpose: Dr Sarah McLusky on making events actually worth showing up for

View the full show notes, including a summary of practical tips on the Amplifying Research website: https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/42-sarah-mclusky [https://www.amplifyingresearch.com/podcast/42-sarah-mclusky]    Be honest: how many meetings, workshops, or conferences have you attended that felt like a waste of your time? Dr Sarah McLusky argues that most academic gatherings fail not because of bad content, but because no one stopped to ask why they were bringing people together in the first place. Sarah [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmclusky/] is a research communicator, facilitator, and host of the Research Adjacent podcast [https://researchadjacent.com/podcast/] — and she's spent years helping teams design gatherings that build trust, spark collaboration, and leave people feeling their time was genuinely well spent. In this episode, we unpack how to move beyond inherited templates and create in-person experiences that actually achieve what you need them to. "What makes people turn up in the room on the day is the agenda, the talks, the subjects they're interested in — that's what gets people through the door. But actually what people remember afterwards, what they take away from it, is the people that they met." — Dr Sarah McLusky Sarah brings extensive experience helping research teams, charities, and other organisations design meaningful in-person experiences — from stakeholder engagement workshops to patient involvement sessions to team away days. She's particularly passionate about creating spaces where different voices can genuinely be heard, and where power dynamics don't shut down the very contributions you're trying to invite. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who organises meetings, runs workshops, or plans events — and suspects there might be a better way. Whether you're rethinking your team's regular catch-ups or planning a major stakeholder engagement session, Sarah offers practical wisdom on making gatherings that genuinely matter.   Find Sarah online: * LinkedIn — https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmclusky/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmclusky/] * Newsletter: Gathering with Purpose — https://sarahmclusky.com/gathering-with-purpose [https://sarahmclusky.com/gathering-with-purpose] * Research Adjacent podcast — https://researchadjacent.com/podcast/ [https://researchadjacent.com/podcast/]