Dissemination vs communication: a strategic approach to research project success

Understanding the distinction and synergy between two essential project components

In the competitive landscape of research funding and project management, the terms “dissemination” and “communication” are often used interchangeably. However, treating them as synonymous represents a fundamental misunderstanding that can significantly undermine a project’s impact and success. As experienced grant managers and research facilitators, we’ve observed that projects with the most significant impact are those that strategically differentiate and integrate both approaches from the earliest planning stages.

The Fundamental Distinction

At its core, dissemination is about the systematic distribution of research findings to specific target audiences who can use this knowledge in their professional practice or decision-making. It’s a planned, purposeful process of packaging research outputs in formats that facilitate uptake by stakeholders who need evidence-based information. Dissemination answers the question: “How do we ensure our research findings reach those who can apply them?”

Communication, conversely, is a broader, more interactive process aimed at engaging diverse audiences in dialogue about your project, its relevance, and its potential implications. Communication creates awareness, builds relationships, and fosters understanding among stakeholders who may not directly apply your research but whose support, awareness, or engagement is valuable. Communication answers: “How do we build meaningful connections with all those affected by or interested in our work?”

Core Characteristics Comparison

Why This Distinction Matters in Grant Projects

European funding frameworks, including Horizon Europe, explicitly require both dissemination and communication strategies, recognizing them as distinct yet complementary activities. Funding agencies understand that research impact depends not only on publishing findings in academic journals (dissemination) but also on creating societal awareness and engagement (communication).

Critical Insight: Projects that blur these boundaries often struggle with evaluation metrics. Dissemination activities are typically measured by uptake indicators (citations, policy adoptions, implementation cases), while communication activities are assessed through reach, engagement, and awareness metrics. Conflating them creates confusion in reporting and can suggest to evaluators that you lack strategic clarity.

Common Pitfalls in Grant Applications

We frequently observe grant applications that demonstrate weak understanding of this distinction:

• The “conference poster” fallacy: Listing conference presentations solely as dissemination activities when they serve both functions depending on the audience and interaction quality
• Social media misclassification: Treating all social media presence as communication when targeted LinkedIn articles for industry professionals may be dissemination
• Insufficient resource allocation: Budgeting only for dissemination (publications, conferences) while expecting communication outcomes without dedicated resources
• Missing stakeholder analysis: Failing to map which audiences need research findings (dissemination targets) versus which need awareness (communication targets)

Strategic Integration: The Pathway to Impact

While distinct, dissemination and communication should never operate in silos. The most successful projects we’ve managed demonstrate strategic integration where each approach reinforces the other.

Integrated Strategy Framework

PROJECT IMPACT is achieved through the synergy of:

DISSEMINATION Activities: Scientific Publications Professional Networks Policy Briefs

COMMUNICATION Activities: Public Engagement Media Relations Stakeholder Dialogue

Building Your Integrated Strategy

An effective integrated strategy requires systematic planning across five key dimensions:

1. Audience Mapping and Segmentation

Begin by creating a comprehensive stakeholder map that identifies:

• Primary dissemination targets: Who needs your research findings to inform their work? (policymakers, industry practitioners, clinical professionals, educators)
• Primary communication targets: Who needs to be aware of your project and engaged in dialogue? (general public, media, funders, partner institutions, students)
• Dual-purpose audiences: Which groups require both detailed findings and accessible messaging? (interdisciplinary researchers, innovation managers, professional associations)

2. Message Tailoring

Develop differentiated messaging frameworks:

Healthcare Professionals:

• Dissemination: Evidence-based clinical guidelines with implementation protocols
• Communication: Why this research matters for patient care and health system efficiency

Industry Partners:

• Dissemination: Technical specifications, validation data, commercialization potential
• Communication: Innovation story, competitive advantages, collaboration opportunities

Policy Makers:

• Dissemination: Policy recommendations with evidence synthesis and cost-benefit analysis
• Communication: Societal challenges addressed, alignment with policy priorities, citizen benefits

General Public:

• Dissemination: N/A (typically not dissemination target)
• Communication: Real-world relevance, human interest stories, accessibility of benefits

3. Channel Selection and Optimization

Choose appropriate channels recognizing their primary strengths:

Dissemination-optimized channels:

• Peer-reviewed journals (high credibility for scientific community)
• Professional conferences and workshops (direct access to practitioners)
• Specialized databases and repositories (findability for specific users)
• Professional networks and associations (trusted intermediaries)
• Policy briefings and parliamentary events (direct policymaker access)

Communication-optimized channels:

• Social media platforms (broad reach, engagement tracking)
• Project websites and blogs (storytelling, multimedia integration)
• Press releases and media partnerships (public awareness amplification)
• Public events and science festivals (interactive engagement)
• Educational resources for schools (long-term awareness building)

Dual-purpose channels:

• Open-access publications (dissemination with broader visibility)
• Webinars (knowledge transfer with interactive Q&A)
• LinkedIn articles (professional insights with network engagement)

4. Timeline Coordination

Synchronize activities strategically rather than treating them as parallel tracks. Consider this sequence for major findings:

1. Pre-dissemination communication: Build anticipation among stakeholder communities
2. Formal dissemination: Release findings through appropriate scholarly or professional channels
3. Amplification communication: Translate and broadcast key messages to wider audiences
4. Uptake support: Provide implementation resources and ongoing dialogue

5. Metrics and Evaluation

Establish distinct but complementary KPIs:

Dissemination Metrics:

• Citations and references in policy documents or practice guidelines
• Downloads of technical reports or toolkits
• Adoption cases (evidence of practice changes)
• Invitations to contribute to professional/policy forums
• Integration into curricula or training programs

Communication Metrics:

• Media coverage reach and sentiment analysis
• Website traffic and engagement time
• Social media interactions (shares, comments, mentions)
• Event attendance and participant satisfaction
• Stakeholder awareness surveys (pre/post measurement)

Practical Implementation: From Proposal to Project Delivery

At Proposal Stage

Demonstrate strategic understanding by:

• Dedicating separate sections to dissemination and communication in your proposal
• Allocating distinct budget lines (typically 2-3% for dissemination, 1-2% for communication, though this varies by funder)
• Identifying specific personnel responsibilities for each area
• Presenting realistic timelines that show evolution from early communication to later dissemination
• Articulating how both activities contribute to distinct aspects of project impact

During Project Implementation

Maintain strategic distinction through:

• Governance: Establish separate working groups or assign clear responsibilities within your project management structure
• Planning cycles: Quarterly communication planning aligned with annual dissemination roadmaps
• Content development: Create modular content that can be adapted for different purposes (detailed findings for dissemination, key messages for communication)
• Partnership leveraging: Engage communication professionals for public-facing activities while maintaining researcher control over dissemination content
• Continuous evaluation: Track metrics monthly for communication, quarterly for dissemination, with annual impact assessment

Risk Management

Common risks and mitigation strategies:

• Risk: Premature dissemination undermining publication potential → Mitigation: Clear protocols for communication that avoid disclosing unpublished findings
• Risk: Communication creating false expectations → Mitigation: Careful messaging about research timelines and uncertainty
• Risk: Dissemination limited to academic circles → Mitigation: Identify non-academic journals and professional publications early
• Risk: Resource constraints forcing trade-offs → Mitigation: Prioritize based on project stage and primary impact pathways

The Horizon Europe Context: What Evaluators Look For

Recent Horizon Europe evaluation feedback consistently highlights that successful proposals demonstrate:

• Clarity of purpose: Explicit statements about what each activity aims to achieve and for whom
• Proportionality: Appropriate effort allocation based on project type, TRL level, and target impact
• Credibility: Realistic plans that match available resources and team expertise
• Inclusivity: Evidence of considering diverse stakeholders including underrepresented groups
• Sustainability: Plans that extend beyond project lifetime, particularly for communication relationships
• Innovation in approach: Novel methods for reaching difficult-to-access target groups or measuring less tangible impacts

Evaluator Perspective: “We immediately recognize proposals that truly understand the difference. They don’t just list activities—they explain strategic rationale, show audience-channel matching, and present coherent theories of change that explicitly link dissemination and communication to impact pathways. Weak proposals simply list conferences and social media without demonstrating understanding of why these choices serve project goals.”

Synergy Drives Impact

Understanding the distinction between dissemination and communication is not academic pedantry—it’s fundamental to research impact. Dissemination ensures your findings reach those who can apply them; communication ensures your work is valued, understood, and supported by broader society. Neither alone is sufficient.

The projects achieving greatest impact are those that view dissemination and communication as interconnected components of a comprehensive engagement strategy. They recognize that scientific excellence must be matched by strategic communication, and that broad awareness without actionable knowledge transfer leaves potential unrealized.

As you prepare your next proposal or refine your current project’s engagement strategy, ask yourself:

• Have I clearly identified who needs to use my research (dissemination) versus who needs to know about it (communication)?
• Are my activities and resources aligned with these distinct purposes?
• How do my dissemination and communication activities reinforce each other?
• Can I articulate a clear pathway from each type of activity to project impact?

Getting this right from the start positions your project for success not just in securing funding, but in achieving the meaningful impact that motivated your research in the first place. In an increasingly competitive funding landscape where impact evaluation weighs heavily, strategic clarity about dissemination and communication may well be the differentiator between good projects and truly transformative ones.