Although funders are generally acknowledged as important actors in the evidence ecosystem, there has been insufficient analysis of the how and why behind funders’ decisions. This article examines the decision-making of three funders in their support of relational approaches to improve the usefulness and use of research evidence. They compare their work across the disparate policy sectors of education and environmental sustainability in order to bridge the silos that have caused unnecessary duplication of work and obstructed advancements in research utilization. The authors (1) provide individual narratives of their funding experiences including why they prioritized relational approaches and how they supported them; (2) discuss their lessons learned for supporting and promoting relational approaches; and (3) offer recommendations to the broader funding community for strengthening and expanding these approaches. The authors hope the paper provides useful insights into ways funders and their partners can build a stronger and better coordinated evidence ecosystem in which research regularly contributes to improved societal outcomes.

尽管资助者通常被认为是证据生态系统中的重要参与者，但对如何以及为什么进行的分析不足资助者的决定背后。本文研究了三位资助者在支持关系方法以提高研究证据的有用性和使用方面的决策。他们比较了他们在教育和环境可持续性等不同政策部门的工作，以弥合导致不必要的工作重复和阻碍研究利用进步的孤岛。作者 (1) 提供了他们资助经历的个人叙述，包括他们为什么优先考虑关系方法以及他们如何支持它们；(2) 讨论他们为支持和促进关系方法而吸取的经验教训；(3) 向更广泛的资助界提供建议，以加强和扩展这些方法。