At Knology, we believe that making the world a better place requires both a clear understanding of the problems confronting us and an effective means for transforming this understanding into concrete, actionable solutions. For more than 10 years, we have worked at the intersection of knowledge and practice, conducting research that untangles complex social issues and building partnerships with organizations across a variety of governmental and non-profit sectors to advance practical, evidence-based interventions.
Our diverse team consists of over 30 social scientists, writers, and educators, and in our work, we draw on our varied disciplinary backgrounds and areas of expertise to examine the key challenges of contemporary life (including climate change and the environment, health and wellbeing, poverty and economic inequality, the media, education, and culture) from a broad-based, transdisciplinary perspective. We are committed to serving the public good, and to creating inclusive, informed, cooperative societies that thrive together with the natural systems on which we all depend.
Our strategic goals are to:
- Be Critical Thinkers: Challenge the status quo by analyzing and reconstructing pathways to navigate the great social challenges of our time.
- Inform & Shape Actions: Equip leaders through compelling social science research stories, to support evidence-based decisions and improved action for a better world.
- Embody DEAI: Strive to integrate and personify principles and practices of diversity, equity, access, and inclusion in our workforce, workplace, and work community.
- Strengthen Alliances: Invest in people and organizations working toward a common good by developing ideas, resources, and game-changing partnerships.
- Refine Our Model: Cultivate our collaborative work philosophy—including internal operations, fiscal stability, and work processes—to make our non-profit model resilient and replicable.
Our research is supported largely through competitive grants won from both federal agencies and private organizations. Since 2016, we have undertaken an average of more than 50 projects per year. Resulting in a diverse array of outputs (publications, workshops and professional development seminars, databases, toolkits, etc.), these projects have benefited non-profit leaders, business leaders, philanthropists, and academic researchers—along with the varied audiences served through our partners’ work.
Our impacts can be seen at many different levels—from micro-level changes in the work of an individual partner through macro-level changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior across an entire sector. Some of our impacts are local, while others are nationwide. Regardless of their size or scope, the differences we make in the lives of our beneficiaries are clear. Recent examples include:
Be Critical Thinkers
Improving Statistical Literacy
After conversations with Knology, PBS NewsHour improved how it presents statistical data to audiences. By supporting journalists to more clearly illustrate concepts like “margin of error,” we have advanced statistical literacy and enhanced the credibility of media organizations.
Inform & Shape Actions
Building New Professional Development Opportunities
Taking advantage of our research into programming librarians’ needs, the American Library Association enriched its professional development programs in ways that yielded more relevant training sessions and tools—particularly on topics such as media literacy, financial wellbeing, and facilitating difficult conversations.
Advancing Decision-making across the Children’s Museum Sector
Using national, sector-wide data we collected, analyzed and reported on, members of the Association of Children’s Museums have increased their understanding of how to use data to guide their operations, and of how to make evidence-based decisions in support of the goal of nurturing children and helping them reach their developmental potential.
Embody DEAI
Bringing STEM Education to Underserved Communities
After consultation with Knology, Children’s National Hospital brought its “Discover SCIENCE with Dr. Bear” content into alignment with DEAI principles, designing bilingual materials that allowed native speakers of both English and Spanish to benefit from their STEM education efforts.
Strengthen Alliances
Fostering Partner Success
After running a grants-writing workshop for scholars at Hispanic-serving Institutions, we heard from several researchers who had previously struggled to secure federal financial support that their proposals had been accepted and funded.
Advancing Research on Financial Education Interventions
After creating a database and a mapping tool for understanding the impact of state-level financial education mandates, Knology guided a group of emerging scholars through the use of these resources, inaugurating a new wave of financial education research.
Refine Our Model
Combatting Climate Change
Making use of our facilitators, research and advice, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration introduced new and improved methods for measuring and assessing the impact of climate empowerment aligned programs, initiatives and networks.