The overall goal of the SPLASH ERA-Net
is to improve the coordination of European water research
aimed at reducing poverty and achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Within this, one of the
focus areas of SPLASH is to foster participatory transfer of research into policy. This paper documents
the results of an investigation into how to improve the application of research throughout the whole
process of designing, conducting and communicating research, to those engaged in policy making and
practice. The findings of this consultation have been revealing about the inadequacy of the present design
and implementation of research programmes and their uptake into development and policy. However, it
also generated ideas, some based on good practice, of how this can be improved and made to work
effectively. These are important lessons which can be taken forward into the design and implementation
of future research programmes to ensure better uptake of EU Member State research