A 'peace wall' is the name now commonly used to describe the massive physical structures used to divide the two main communities in Northern Ireland, primarily in the Belfast area. The first 'peace wall' was constructed almost fifty years ago in 1969 to separate the Catholic Falls Road and the Protestant Shankill Road in Belfast. At the time, it was considered a short-term policy intervention. An Army Major, overseeing the construction of the wall said: 'This is a temporary measure... we do not want to see another Berlin wall situation in Western Europe... it will be gone by Christmas'. Despite the successes of the peace process, such segregation and division are still part of the daily reality for many in Northern Ireland. In 2014, that wall still remains and has been accompanied by one hundred additional walls and barriers, stretching to more than 26 miles in length across the city. Indeed, the peace walls have come to symbolize the ongoing gulf between the aspirations of the peace process and the implementation of peace in practice. It is against this backdrop that our knowledge exchange partnership project exists. The rationale for our project has been driven by the Northern Ireland government's recently published community relations strategy document, Together: Building a United Community (May 2013) which set itself the ambitious target of removing ALL interface barriers (peace walls) by 2023. However, our previous research has shown that 69% of local residents living in closest proximity to the peace walls believe that the peace walls are still necessary because of the potential for violence. Clearly much works will need to be undertaken with these communities in order for the government to achieve its policy objectives. The project will generate extra value in terms of both scholarship and impact by using social science insights to maximise the chances of efficient and effective policy delivery. We will achieve this through direct and sustained engagement with senior policy-makers and practitioners connected to the Northern Ireland Executive's peace walls implementation strategy. By embedding the academic team within the Department of Justice for 12 months, working with their newly established Interface Action Team (IAT) which has lead responsibility for delivery of this strategy, opportunities for efficient and effective policy delivery will be enhanced. A series of research objectives have been identified in partnership with the IAT. These include the design, delivery and analysis of a further public attitudes survey, preliminary research on designing the next steps in practical interventions in interface areas building on existing investments from external funders such as the International Fund for Ireland, conducting a review of existing mechanisms for managing peace walls, and establishing baseline indicators to assist in mapping progress in the implementation of the peace walls initiative over the next 10 years. This will also lead to a series of roundtable workshops with academics and senior civil servants, the establishment of a database which brings together relevant statistical and qualitative information on interface areas and a number of evidence-based policy briefs designed to encourage wider participation and consultation in policy development.