Creating Change: Embedding Research Partnerships for Social Impact
Author: Lisa McDaid
Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland
Research partnerships and effective collaboration can enable us to bridge the gap between academic excellence and real-world impact. In a symposium held from 25-27 March at the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) at The University of Queensland (UQ), funded by UQ’s Global Partnerships Funding Scheme, it was striking how central these relationships are to ISSR's vision of contributing to a sustainable future, and a fair and just society.
Partnerships as vehicles for change
The symposium highlighted that embedded partnership approaches—engaging academics, government, industry, and communities—are essential for addressing wicked problems. These aren't simple 'nice-to-have' arrangements but fundamental vehicles for creating meaningful social impact.
Throughout the symposium, discussions with academic, practitioners, and community partners made clear that this work requires all stakeholders to commit to doing things differently. It demands collective commitment to creating positive change that is both sustainable and wanted by the communities affected. As one participant noted, "The most successful partnerships are those where the community's voice shapes the research agenda from the outset."
Learning from success
We heard from several compelling examples of embedded partnerships that are making a difference. The UK NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration in Glasgow www.hdrcglasgow.com and the Binks Hub in Edinburgh demonstrate the power of partner-led approaches. Closer to home, discussion with ISSR's partners revealed a common thread: the most impactful research partnerships are those led by the partner, not the academic.
This represents a significant shift in how we conceptualise our role. Rather than positioning ourselves as the leaders, we become responsive collaborators, bringing our methodological expertise to support partner-identified priorities.
The symposium underscored the importance of genuine co-design approaches from the very beginning. This isn't about consultation after the research questions have been set; it's about working together to identify the questions that matter most to those affected. Participants emphasised the critical importance of good data infrastructure. Creating impact requires good data, useful data, linked data, and the infrastructure to use it effectively. But data alone isn't enough—we need evaluation approaches that examine not just what works, but what works for whom in what circumstances. This demands agility and adaptability. As researchers, we must be brave enough to tell our partners when something isn't working, rather than waiting until a project's end. We need the courage to stop ineffective approaches and test new ones—a perspective that can challenge traditional academic timelines and processes.
Building capacity for sustainable change
For ISSR to excel in this space, we need to address two interconnected challenges: developing our research workforce and rethinking how we fund research.
The symposium highlighted that embedded partnership research requires researchers who are adaptable, flexible, and able to work effectively with others. This aligns perfectly with ISSR’s goal of building an outward looking, social science research workforce. Simultaneously, we need to advocate for funding models that recognise partnership as central, not peripheral. Traditional grants can treat partnership as an add-on rather than a fundamental element. Looking to models like the NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration and the Binks Hub provides examples of different approaches that embed partnership at their core.
At ISSR, we recognise that this approach takes time. Building relationships, developing trust, and creating space for partner leadership requires patience and commitment. It means being responsive and resilient to changes in the environment and the challenging economic context in which we all operate.
Keeping equity front and centre
As we continue to develop ISSR's approach to partnerships, these insights will inform how we structure our engagement, develop our researcher capacity, and position ourselves as collaborators in creating sustainable social change. But there's another critical dimension that emerged from our discussions: the essential role of partnerships in advancing equity. This is perhaps the most compelling reason for our focus on embedded partnerships. They don't simply make our research more rigorous or impactful—they fundamentally align our work with our core values of fairness and justice.
ISSR's research and evaluation is fundamentally designed to support equity. Our approach recognises entrenched social disadvantage and actively seeks to challenge it. In a world where equity appears increasingly deprioritised, embedded partnership approaches provide a powerful mechanism to keep these concerns front and centre, to ensure that the voices most often marginalised are heard, and to drive policy toward more comprehensive solutions that can facilitate genuine systemic change.
At ISSR, we aim to develop and evaluate innovative solutions to help families and communities flourish, and equity-focused, embedded partnerships are the pathway to achieving this. Creating and sustaining embedded research partnerships will support UQ to achieve real-world social impact that keeps equity at its heart.