Purpose There is ongoing movement toward evidence based practice (EBP) in social work. However, criticisms persist regarding the profession's translation of research into useful practice knowledge. A continually growing body of knowledge has the potential to inform practice, but applied research that speaks directly to the process of dissemination and implementation of this knowledge is generally limited. This poster is a description of the third phase in a larger project designed to facilitate the use of evidence in practice at the frontlines of social work. The first phase of the project consisted of a literature review of existing research and theory on the dissemination of research in practice. In the second phase, open-ended interviews were conducted with eight expert intervention researchers regarding the barriers, themes, and trends in the use of EBP. The findings from these first two phases, completed in January 2004, have been presented and published elsewhere. Methods Built on the findings of phases one and two, this agency-university pilot project was initiated to further explore the issues related to EBP as played out in the effort to partner with, motivate, and train agency personnel in the theory and processes of EBP, provide technical assistance as agencies begin to use EBP, and troubleshoot any barriers that may arise in the process. In this current phase of the project, two of New York City's most innovative social work agencies have been engaged in a pilot study in partnership with Columbia University. Interviews, focus groups, questionnaires and the collaborative experience toward the use of EBP with agencies provide valuable data as to how to address key criticisms of EBP dissemination and implementation. Results The literature review from phase one suggests that there is a disconnection between researchers and practitioners around EBP in social work. In order to begin to address this gap, the literature review and data gathered from interviews with researchers conducted in phases one and two of this project will be compared with data gathered from focus groups and interviews with agency based practitioners and administrators. Results including agency and practitioners' perceptions about current use of research and EBP in practice, the utility of EBP in their work, what motivates them to use EBP, and the tools they need to implement EBP will be presented. Implications This data forms the basis for recommendations for future efforts toward the sustained use of research in practice, including agency motivation, values, and resource needs as well as strategies for building rapport between researchers and practitioners and troubleshooting common problems in order to facilitate the practical application of EBP in social work agencies. In the fourth and final phase, a model of this agency-university partnership strategy of EBP will be constructed to incorporate the findings of the first three phases. The complete study findings, including a recommended strategy for building university-agency EBP teams, will be published elsewhere.