Overcoming Systematic Barriers to Public Policy Engagement and Research Translation

There is a growing need for decision makers (e.g., elected officials, administrators, private and public funders) to understand and utilize empirical evidence, yet there are a number of systematic barriers limiting researchers’ and practitioners’ engagement in public policy and public-facing communications that could bolster the application of scientific knowledge. Such barriers include a lack of institutional incentive structures (e.g., paid time, contributions to tenure decisions), apprehension regarding government funding regulations (e.g., risking research grants or 501(c)(3) charitable status), a lack of training on non-academic science translation, and few structured opportunities for interacting in the policy arena. Even writing in non-academic forums (e.g., op-eds) may be perceived as taboo in some settings, yet public awareness and support regarding preventative interventions is likely needed to advance the utilization of knowledge gained through academic endeavors.

These barriers contribute to a lack of representation among research-oriented professionals in legislative decision making, which likely enables the interests of industries to be inordinately represented in decision making relative to the interests of the average citizen. Potentially more concerning is the lack of representation among marginalized groups who are unlikely to engage with legislative offices. Furthermore, too few decision makers are aware of the wide array of programs, practices, and policies that have been empirically demonstrated to prevent the most common and costly psychological, behavioral, and health problems. Prevention scientists’ communication, promotion, and dissemination of empirical evidence has the potential to influence public policy at all levels of governance, impacting how problems are prevented and addressed in our communities. Helping professions also have the potential to convey to legislative offices the issues faced by vulnerable groups of people. Overall, the mobilization of the research community and others in helping professions has the potential to correct the balance of perspectives and interests represented in policymaking.

As researchers and citizens in a democratic society, it should be an honorable and recognized public service to translate our research for decision making purposes. However, systematic barriers hamper researchers’ engagement in the public sphere (e.g., writing in public forums such as blogs and op-eds; direct correspondence with legislative offices). This roundtable will facilitate discussion regarding how prevention scientists can overcome systematic barriers for engaging in public policy and communicating in public forums, and what system-level changes are needed to further enhance researchers’ engagement in public policy and communications.