Forum Convenes Scholars Studying Research Use in Policy & Practice

On July 26-27, the Forum for Youth Investment and the William T. Grant Foundation convened an interdisciplinary group of scholars who are all launching studies about the acquisition, use and interpretation of research evidence in policy and practice. The studies focus on the education, child welfare and child mental health sectors; the research “users” in question include state agency officials, district administrators, elected officials, county child welfare directors, school leaders, teachers and others.

Though prior efforts to understand research use have often focused on dissemination and diffusion of information, these scholars think about research use as a dynamic set of social processes and they share a common interest in better understanding the needs, practices, networks and interests of potential research users. For more information about the William T. Grant Foundation’s interest in this area, see “Learning about the Use of Research to Inform Evidence-Based Policy and Practice: Early Lessons and Future Directions” by Vivian Tseng.