Translating Science: A Town Hall on the Challenges - Plenary Panel at the 2011 NIJ Conference

• NCJ Number: 237026
• Author(s): John H. Laub; David Chambers; Patrick Gallagher; Linda Mellgren; John Easton
• Date Published: June 2011
• Length: 10 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Presentation (Multimedia); Issue Overview; Conference Material

Annotation

This transcript and video from the 2011 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Conference cover four presentations from a "town hall" panel on how Federal agencies that sponsor scientific research in various domains translate research products and findings into practice that directly benefits society as a whole.

Abstract

The scientific domains represented in the presentations are mental health (The National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH]); education (the Institute of Education Science within the Department of Education); science and technology (the National Institute of Standards & Technology [NIST]); and social science research (the Department of Health and Human services). The representatives of these various agencies discuss the mechanisms they have used to facilitate the translation of their sponsored research into practice that directly benefits people who receive services in these various domains. Among the procedures used to facilitate the translation of scientific research results into improved services for people in these various fields are continuing interchanges between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners regarding how various research projects might result in tangible benefits for various populations; the dissemination to policymakers and practitioners of research findings and their potential applications in the field; and evaluations of pilot applications of scientific results in the field in order to determine whether they qualify for general replication. The "town hall" discussions consider the implications of the panel presentations for criminal justice research and practice.