BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ENGAGEMENT, EVIDENCE USE, AND SOCIETAL IMPACT IN

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR ENGAGEMENT, EVIDENCE USE, AND SOCIETAL IMPACT IN RESEARCH: A WORK IN PROGRESS Alison Meadow University of Arizona ENGAGEMENT AND IMPACTS ASSESSMENTS AT THREE SCALES Project-scale Program-scale Institution-scale • Identifying what works and • Building on findings from • Designing impacts evaluation doesn’t work when climate individual projects to inform framework that can supp. [...] Impacts Impacts Where can we find evidence of • Project-scale data (interviews, surveys, observations) our impact? • Existing institutional data (proposals, annual reports) • Existing external data (policy and social media databases) • Possible future institutional data (impact- and engagement- specific reports) Data Use/Impact Sources Descriptors Societal Goals COMPELLING • Many examples of use o. [...] • significance vs reach • The legacy of Mode 1 science is strong • Linear approach is still embedded in systems CAPACITY AND • To move to Relational approach, our research TRAINING NEEDS workforce needs additional support to learn: • effective and ethical engagement • monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes • how and why research is used • To move. [...] Planning and Evaluating the Societal Impacts of Climate Change Research Projects: A guidebook for natural and physical scientists looking to make a difference. [...] INVESTING IN ENGAGEMENT • As funder expectations change, academic expectations will change • Recognition and rewards will follow • Diffuse funding structure means we still don’t have consistent “push” • Investments in capacity-building are necessary in the immediate-term • Impacts literacy so researchers know *how* research moves into practice • Engaged sc.