The CREATE Dissemination Core (DC) convened recently with the Dissemination Advisory Committee (DAC) to discuss innovative strategies for disseminating CREATE’s cutting-edge research on aging and technology. The meeting attendees included the Dissemination Core Leaders, Dr. Wendy Rogers and Dr. Walter Boot, the Administrative Core Leaders, Dr. Sara Czaja and Ms. Adrienne Jaret, and the dissemination staff at Illinois and Weill Cornell Medine.  The DAC members were communication professionals Lisa Bralts, the Assistant Dean for Marketing & Communication of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Lauren Hollenberg, the President at Wisebird. 

The discussion focused on processes for communicating research findings to a wider audience. The DAC provided insights on how to make CREATE’s high-quality research accessible to a larger audience. For example, CREATE personnel and DAC discussed the knowledge gap between stakeholders, particularly older adults. 

The DAC members highlighted the need for different communication tactics tailored to various stakeholders and stressed the importance of defining “good” dissemination. DC was advised to utilize existing resources to their fullest potential, such as “News-wise,” an existing platform for publishing research and the University of Illinois Office of Research and Innovation, and the CREATE Industry Advisory Panel. 

CREATE DC plans to move forward with key initiatives such as plans to explore partnership with industry leaders and journalists by creating engaging visual content. They will also target other stakeholder groups, including healthcare networks, with consideration of their different needs and use of research. 

The DC Team is dedicated to continuously improving their dissemination efforts. They will reconvene with DAC towards the end of the year to assess progress, gather feedback, and refine their strategies to ensure they are effectively reaching and engaging their target audiences.