The document discusses the benefits and challenges of collaboration between civil society organizations (CSOs) and academics. It notes that the Food Research Collaboration's mission is to facilitate more effective collaboration between these groups to improve UK food policy. Some benefits of collaboration include increased impact, access to resources and funding for academics, and academic expertise and endorsement for CSOs. However, challenges can include differences in general problem-solving approaches versus specific solutions, time constraints, cultural differences, issues of prestige, and potential conflicts of interests.

1. Benefits and challenges of
CSO-academic collaboration
Victoria Schoen
Research Fellow
FRC

2. The FRC mission
To facilitate more effective collaboration
between academics and CSOs to
encourage the production, sharing and use
of knowledge to improve UK food policy

3. Altruistic reasons
“….. even without the policies of austerity, a
‘business as (just about) usual’ approach lacks the
depth and breadth of scope to respond to pressing
concerns such as, community cohesion, individual
vulnerability, climatic variability and economic
vitality” (Campbell and Vanderhoven. 2016)

4. Benefits to academics
• Impact
• Access
• Funding
• Application of expertise

5. Benefits to CSOs
• Impact
• In-house discipline availability
• Resource availability
• Academic endorsement
• Academic expertise

6. Challenges in collaboration
• General rules vs. specific solutions
• Time issues
• Differences in culture
• Prestige
• Conflicting interests
• Language

7. Reference
• Campbell, H., Vanderhoven, D. et al, 2016.
Knowledge that Matters: Realising the
Potential of Co-Production, N8 Research
Partnership,
http://www.n8research.org.uk/media/Final-
Report-Co-Production-2016-01-20.pdf