Abigail Mulhall, Research Uptake Manager of the Research and Evidence Division in the Department of International Development (DFID), recognises that there are a number of barriers preventing researchers from communicating their own work.

Financial and time limitations, for example, have a huge impact. The expectation around researchers having to perform their own communication strategies across a multitude of channels, both online and off, is also a large contributing factor.

To combat this, Abigail states, DFID is working to support the researchers they fund to get their research into use. This is being achieved through providing advisory support and funds specifically for research communication with the ultimate objective of research uptake.  There is also an increasing recognition that there are knowledge intermediaries and knowledge service providers who can support researchers towards this goal and DFID is looking to find ways to facilitate this process.