Book excerpt: Researchers in the environmental sciences are often frustrated because actors involved with practice do not follow their advice. This is the starting point of this book, which describes a new model for scientific knowledge transfer called RIU, for Research, Integration and Utilization. This model sees the factors needed for knowledge transfer as being state-of-the-art research and the effective, practical utilization to which it leads, and it highlights the importance of “integration”, which in this context means the active bi‐directional selection of those research results that are relevant for practice. In addition, the model underscores the importance of special allies who are powerful actors that support the application of scientific research results in society. An important product of this approach is a checklist of factors for successful knowledge transfer that will be useful for scientists. By using this checklist, research projects and research programs can be optimised with regard to their potential for reaching successful knowledge transfer effects.