Abigail Abrash Walton, Ph.D. ESEP Annual Meeting Future ESEP Sub-Communities: Training Scientists on How to Effectively Engage in Science Policy? Abigail Abrash Walton, Ph.D. March 29, 2017

Because what you told me is absolutely correct but completely useless Yes, how did you know? You must be a researcher Where am I? Because you don’t know where you are, you don’t know where you’re going, and now you’re blaming me You’re 30 yards above the ground in a balloon The Challenge (adapted from R Brownson) Yes. How did you know? You must be a policy maker 2 2 2

Factors affecting use of research by policy makers Barriers Facilitators Absence of personal contact between scientists & policy makers Lack of Timeliness & Relevance of research Mutual mistrust Power & Budget Struggles Political instability/High turnover of policy making staff based on Agnone (2007); Choi et al. (2005); Nisbet & Markowitz (2016) Personal contact between scientists & policy makers Trust Timeliness/Relevance of research Research that includes summary w/ clear recommendations Public pressure for policy consistent with research

Table 1 Do you know who your senators and member of the U.S. House of Representatives are? Self- reported behavior as a percentage of the Sample. _______________ ______ Year Yes No Maybe _____No/Maybe Combined_ 2013 58 21 21 42 2014 52 24 24 48 2015 76 13 11 24 2016 66 18 16 34 2013-2016 63 19 18 37 ____________________ Note. 2013 (N = 117); 2014 (N = 87); 2015 (N = 108); 2016 (N = 68); 2013-2016 (N = 380).  

Written to a policymaker 55 52 53 49 53 Table 2 Engagement in the policy process: self-reported behavior as a percentage of the Sample. ______________________________________ ______________________ Behavior 2013 2014 2015 2016 2013-2016__ Written to a policymaker 55 52 53 49 53 Met with any of your elected officials 33 28 38 32 33 Met with a policymaker's staff 37 32 34 35 35 Testified before U.S. Congress, 3 0 6 3 3 state legislature or city council Participated in an advocacy day 33 26 39 37 34 Participated in a committee 24 16 19 18 19 working on a science policy issue _______________________ Note. 2013 (N = 117); 2014 (N = 87); 2015 (N = 108); 2016 (N = 68); 2013-2016 (N = 380).    

“Democracy is not something we have. It is something we do.” Doris “Granny D” Haddock

References: Agnone, J. (2007). Amplifying public opinion: The policy impact of the U.S. environmental movement. Social Forces. Blockstein, D.E. (2002) How to Lose Your Political Virginity while Keeping Your Scientific Credibility. BioScience. January, vol. 52, No. 1.  Center for Research on Environmental Deci­sions. (2009). The Psychology of Climate Change Communica­tion: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public. New York. Choi, B.C.K. et al. (2005). Evidence based public health policy and practice: Can scientists and policy makers work together? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. National Research Council (2010). Adapting to the impacts of climate change. The National Academies Press, Washington, D.C. Nisbet, M.C., & Markowitz, E. (2016). Science communication research: Bridging theory and practice. AAAS, Washington, D.C.