Academic researchers’ engagement in bringing research to action depends on their willingness and capacity to: 1) regard the process more as knowledge exchange than as knowledge transfer; 2) accept the transformation and evolution of intellectual capital and share ownership of emergent ideas and action; 3) get in the shoes of those using research knowledge and understand the institutional forces, organizational imperatives and power dynamics that govern "inside" knowledge and practices and responses to and uptake of "outside" knowledge; 4) step outside officially sanctioned and rewarded university roles, recognizing attendant risks and returns; 5) appreciate the length of time, particular context/circumstances, positioning, and interpersonal skills required to generate the level of trust and mutual respect required for successful collaborations.