Table 1 Framework of practice areas: definitions and examples

Release of findings: Diffusion, passive activities, and supportive policies to make research findings available and accessible to the general public and other audiences

• Publication/presentation of findings: funder requires or financially supports awardees to release findings in academic journals or at academic conferences

• Open access: funder requires publication deposit in open access repositories; requires or provides funds for open access publication

• Direct publication by the funder

• Funder supports write-up (translation) of findings into lay language for the general public

• Funder establishes information hub or repository for evidence to support its dissemination

• Funder releases findings and information about funded projects in press briefings, media exchanges, untargeted mass mailings, untargeted presentations (e.g., meetings, webinars), leaflets, newsletters, blogs, web pages, and/or on social media

Dissemination: An active approach of spreading research findings to the target audience via determined channels using planned strategies [15]

• Prepare targeted summaries, briefings, or other products to disseminate evidence to stakeholders/targeted audiences

• Educational sessions with patients, healthcare professionals, and/or policymakers

• Develop or fund development of training modules that incorporate research findings for clinicians or other targeted audience

• Develop or support development of clinical guidelines or other tools to increase knowledge or awareness of evidence in a targeted audience

• Require or encourage research awardees to develop dissemination plans and/or conduct dissemination activities as part of research awards

• Support awardees to conduct dissemination through separate funding schemes

• Support or hold conferences, workshops, or other events to disseminate findings to targeted audiences

• Funder undertakes other direct dissemination activities (directly reaches or works with stakeholders to actively reach targeted audiences).

Knowledge exchange/partnering: Actively bringing stakeholders together to share, respond to, and act upon research findings

• Stimulating partnerships between researchers and knowledge-users/local organizations to support the integration of research evidence into practice

• Funder holds or supports knowledge exchange meetings/forums for researchers and decision makers

• Knowledge translation, exchange, and/or mobilization funding schemes

Implementation: Active and planned efforts to use or integrate research findings within a setting

• Funding schemes to support awardees (research or other) to undertake implementation projects (e.g., clinical guideline implementation projects)

• Require or encourage research awardees to develop implementation plans and/or conduct implementation activities as part of research awards

• Direct support for implementation at implementation sites (funder hires or supports hiring an implementation expert(s) to implement intervention at new site)

• Prizes to incentivize or recognize implementation projects

Building capacity/infrastructure:

Investing in people and structures that enable/lay the groundwork for release of findings, dissemination, knowledge exchange/partnering, and/or implementation of research evidence

• Specific awards to support building capacity for dissemination or implementation activities

• Funding to develop dissemination and implementation expertise (e.g., fellows)

• Investment in networks, frameworks, tools, materials, etc. that support release of findings, dissemination, knowledge exchange/partnering, and/or implementation of research evidence

Implementation research:

Investment in and/or carrying out research on determinants/models/working methods and effectiveness of dissemination and implementation efforts or initiatives

• Funder provides support for research having the primary aim of determining whether a dissemination or implementation strategy is effective

• Funder provides support for research having the primary aim of comparing the effectiveness of proven dissemination or implementation strategies