Research to Practice and Policy in Occupational Health and Safety

About this course

The demand for ensuring that research contributes to policy, practice, and societal impact is increasing, including within occupational health and safety (OHS). This course focuses on research-to-practice approaches and knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE), exploring how evidence-based OHS knowledge can be shared, exchanged, and used by researchers, policymakers, labour inspectors, practitioners, and other stakeholders.

Through lectures, case studies, discussions, and group work, participants will learn about methods and approaches that support the exchange of knowledge between research and practice. The course will also examine how knowledge users can be engaged throughout the research process to strengthen the use and impact of OHS research.

Main topics

This course will address:

• Conceptual foundations of research-to-practice, knowledge transfer and exchange, and societal impact in occupational health and safety
• Strategies to exchange knowledge between researchers, brokers, and research users
• Practical methods for including stakeholders in knowledge production and knowledge use
• How to engage with policy processes through timely and meaningful interactions
• Institutional impact capacity building: impact culture, and researcher competencies
• Translating research knowledge for practice and policy use
• Measuring the reach and impact of research findings

Course objectives

By the end of the course, participants will have up-to-date knowledge of research-to-practice approaches and knowledge transfer and exchange within occupational health and safety. They will understand how knowledge users can be engaged in the transfer and exchange of evidence-based OHS research to increase its use and societal impact in policy and practice.

Target groups

• Researchers, postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and research assistants
• Practitioners working within occupational health and safety
• Labour inspectors
• OSH knowledge brokers
• Policymakers and policy advisors

Subject background

The demand for better use of evidence-based research findings and greater societal impact is increasing, including within occupational health and safety (OHS). New approaches focus not only on knowledge transfer, but also on knowledge exchange between researchers and external knowledge users.

Knowledge transfer and exchange actively engages decision-makers, practitioners, and other stakeholders in the research process. Such engagement can help increase the relevance, dissemination, and use of evidence-based OHS knowledge in policy and practice.

This course focuses on methods and approaches for strengthening knowledge transfer, exchange, and dissemination between researchers, brokers, decision-makers, and practitioners. It will examine how research users can be engaged throughout the research process, how research can be translated for policy and practice, and how organisations can strengthen their impact capacity and measure societal impact.

By bringing together participants from different disciplinary and professional backgrounds, the course provides opportunities to exchange experiences and learn from different perspectives on the use of OHS knowledge.

General course fee and cancellation information

The courses and workshops vary in price. Please note that the course fee does not cover meals or accommodation. The course fee and day-package fee are invoiced after the registration deadline.

Travel arrangements

Please refrain from booking any travel tickets until we have confirmed the course. The confirmation, which will be sent at the latest after the registration deadline, will include detailed information on the payment of the course fee and day-packages, as well as information on practical arrangements. Please note that you are not insured by NIVA.

Accessibility and Inclusion

Our venues for organising courses have carefully considered accessibility to ensure they cater to the needs of all participants. For detailed information about the hotel’s accessibility features, please click here.

Cancellation policy

Cancellations received by 15th of April 2027: full refund
Cancellations received by 16th of April 2027 or later: no refund

NIVA will issue an invoice or send information on how to pay the course with credit card (depending on the option chosen in the registration form) after the registration deadline.

The price is subject to minor changes.

Contact persons

Course leaders

Ole H Sørensen, National Research Centre for the Working Environment (NFA), Denmark
email: ohs@nfa.dk

Ulrik Gensby, TeamArbejdsliv, Denmark

Dwayne van Eerd, Institute for Work and Health, Canada

In practical matters, please contact:

Nora Tobiasson
Project Manager
NIVA
email: nora.tobiasson@niva.org