Software-defined networking (SDN) technology is being widely adopted across commercial, governmental, and educational networking domains. However, teaching SDN-related concepts is a challenge due to the inherent nature of this paradigm, its detailed technological tools/skill sets, and the continual evolution of the information and communications technology (ICT) sector. As a result, there is a growing need to support new initiatives to develop applied research and hands-on training methodologies. Accordingly, this article presents a framework that has been developed/evolved over the past few years for teaching and conducting research activities related to SDN. The key idea here is to leverage the close relationship between SDN, real-world ICT problems, and innovative services development. Thus, the proposed framework integrates actors, stakeholders, phases, and components, along with their interrelationships in an applied research environment. Some related research and development experiences from the application of this framework in Chile are also presented to highlight its contributions toward creating a wider knowledge base and benefiting society.