Understanding Research Impact Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio Regional

Understanding Research Impact Cristina Rumbaitis del Rio Regional Programme Manager, Action on Climate Today

March 9, 2016 This is what we usually mean.

A story of Science Impact Source: http://www.rachelcarson.org/TimelineJS.aspx

Lessons: 28 years from first research evidence to (partial) action

It required moving out of science and into journalism and advocacy / activism Rachel Carson (and others) were

vilified in the process. What now?

More recent lessons research impact Time horizon for moving from research to action are compressing We have better understanding of how people and organizations learn & make

decisions

Engaging hearts and minds

Selecttive use of evidence / bias Learn from failure as well as successes; Greater focus on the user demand-side; Rapid prototyping & user-oriented design Understanding incentives and disincentives, preferences throughout the system

Mass media, open data sharing is often a factor Often there is a shift in ownership of the issue from research to journalism / advocacy/ activism /politics

This is easier in some fields (e.g. health) more than others. Lessons from Action on Climate Today

(and beyond) Technical inputs reports

Governments looking for ideas, safe experimentation, validation & appreciation Quality, consistency of engagement & trust matter Competition can be a motivator for action (as long as it doesnt

erode trust) Engaging political level can accelerate change, but you need to proceed carefully, with clear eyed understanding of incentives, alignment and misalignments.

Engagement above and below (senior and junior levels) Patience & persistence, change is often quite incremental. Enduring partnerships for sustainability

Thank you!