The Knowledge Mobilisation Fellow will play a strategic role in bridging the gap between research, evidence, and decision ‑ making across the Greater Manchester health and care system.
The postholder will act as a specialist knowledge mobilisation practitioner, working across organisational boundaries to support the systematic identification, synthesis, translation and mobilisation of high ‑ quality research and evidence into real ‑ world practice.
Working autonomously and in partnership with the NHS GM Chief Clinical Officer, the GM/NIHR ARC-GM Knowledge Mobilisation Lead, academic partners, system leaders, clinicians, providers, VCSE organisations and communities, the postholder will:
Identify local and regional evidence needs aligned to GM priorities, digital transformation in healthcare and population health challenges
Translate complex research and data into accessible, actionable insights that inform commissioning, policy development, service redesign, and system transformation.
Build and sustain relationships and networks across research, practice and policy to promote a culture of evidence ‑ informed decision ‑ making.
Act as a system broker, enabling two ‑ way communication between researchers and decision ‑ makers, ensuring evidence needs are articulated, understood, and met.
Develop, deliver and evaluate activities that support implementation, adoption and spread of evidence ‑ based interventions across the system.
The role requires significant political acumen, excellent communication skills, high levels of analytical capability, and the ability to navigate complexity in a large, multi ‑ agency environment. The postholder will contribute to NHS GM’s ambitions to reduce inequalities, improve outcomes and embed learning and knowledge ‑ driven improvement across the system.
Integrated Care Systems (ICSs) are partnerships of health and care organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up services and to improve the health and wellbeing of people who live and work in their area. Their purpose is to improve outcomes in population health and healthcare; tackle inequalities in outcomes, experience, and access; enhance productivity and value for money and support broader social and economic development in their area efficiency. This will be delivered in neighbourhood, place, combinations of places and GM system.
Our NHS People Promise – the promise we must all make to each other, to work together to improve the experience of working in the NHS for everyone. Like many other employers, NHS GM currently has evidence of unwarranted inequalities in the workforce, most notably in relation to minoritised ethnic, female and\or disabled staff and their intersectionality. As a result, we will use positive action measures to bring benefits to our organisation, including a wider pool of talented, skilled, and experienced people from which to recruit and a better understanding of the needs of a more diverse range of customers.
Build Relationships & Strengthen System Knowledge Mobilisation Capacity
- Develop and maintain strong cross ‑ sector partnerships with researchers, clinicians, commissioners, policymakers, VCSE organisations and community groups to support two ‑ way knowledge exchange.
- Champion the role and value of knowledge mobilisation across GM, raising awareness of evidence ‑ informed decision ‑ making and supporting colleagues to articulate evidence needs.
- Actively participate in local, regional and national KM networks (including the ARC KM Fellow Network) to share best practice, enhance capability and strengthen evidence brokerage across the system.
- Integrate with new and existing GM knowledge mobilisation, implementation and improvement initiatives, aligning activity with strategic priorities.
Identify Local Evidence and Knowledge Needs
- Collaborate with system leaders, service teams, policy colleagues and analysts to identify evidence gaps, priority questions, commissioning needs and areas requiring synthesis or translation.
- Conduct and contribute to needs assessments that map local challenges, population health issues, transformation priorities and opportunities for evidence ‑ informed practice.
- Work closely with researchers to ensure understanding of GM system needs and influence the development of relevant, timely and actionable research outputs.
Curate, Synthesise and Translate Evidence for Decision ‑ Making
- Conduct or commission rapid evidence reviews, summaries, horizon scans and other knowledge products using robust search and appraisal methods.
- Synthesise complex academic research, data and evaluation findings into clear, accessible, context ‑ specific insights suitable for senior decision ‑ makers.
- Develop evidence products (e.g., infographics, briefings, slide decks, policy summaries, decision aids, lay materials) tailored to different audiences.
- Ensure continuous flow of insights to stakeholders by maintaining effective communication channels and addressing barriers to knowledge use.
Support the Implementation, Adoption and Spread of Evidence
- Apply a range of KM and implementation science frameworks to help teams translate research into practice.
- Facilitate workshops, round ‑ tables, seminars and learning sessions that bring together researchers, staff, system leaders, community representatives and service users.
- Support adoption ‑ ready innovations by interpreting findings, contextualising evidence and co ‑ designing implementation approaches with stakeholders.
- Provide hands ‑ on support to teams integrating evidence into service redesign, pathway development, strategic planning and commissioning decisions.
Evaluate Knowledge Mobilisation Activity and Impact
- Collect and analyse process and outcome data to understand how evidence is accessed, used and influencing decisions across the system.
- Use a range of evaluation techniques such as reflective logs, observational data, contribution analysis, feedback collection and case study development.
- Produce reports and case studies demonstrating impact, promoting learning across NHS GM and contributing to national ARC KM evaluation programmes.
- Continuously refine KM approaches based on evaluation insights, emerging needs and stakeholder feedback.
