American University Translating Research into Action Center (TRAC)
Increasingly complex societal challenges necessitate that public and private sector leaders leverage fundamental research to make evidence-based decisions. As the demand for consumable knowledge grows, researchers striving to impact society are tasked with both producing sound research and translating that research into actionable, evidence-based ideas upon which decision-makers can act. The need is great. Yet, scholars often lack the skills or capacity needed to translate their knowledge for policymakers and practitioners. Moreover, universities often lack the institutional capacity to support current scholars and develop future scholars who enable the effective use of evidence to benefit society.
Based at American University’s (AU) Office of Research, the Translating Research into Action Center (TRAC) will create a translational research and training ecosystem within and beyond the university, in partnership with the University of Denver and The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Evidence Project, which have extensive experience building research translation capacity and broad academic, policy, and funder networks. TRAC is among NSF’s first-ever Accelerating Research Translation (ART) awards, which aim to empower academic institutions to speed and scale translational research.
What we’re doing
By building roadmaps, the metrics, the publishing outlet, and the evidence base all in one, with TRAC and RIPIL’s workstreams in particular, that equip scholars and partners to aim for impact deliberately, track it credibly, and amplify it efficiently.
RIPIL is supporting TRAC’s mission by engaging in research across these four workstreams:
Pathways-to-Impact
RIPIL is distilling the many ways research travels, from community-engaged design and policy partnerships to tech transfer, into an easily accessible online guidebook as well as a repository for seminal studies on research translation, methods to monitor and evaluate the societal impact of research, and the first-hand experiences of innovators in this research-to-impact field.
Measurement
If we want researchers and funders to value translation, we have to measure it. RIPIL aims to build practical indicators that capture both the effort required and the societal gains achieved. Our measurement stream primarily focuses on strengthening the capacity of NSF-ART recipients and other Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) committed to research translation to measure their research translation efforts and the societal impact of these efforts. The aim is to significantly increase our ability to understand when and how research can have a positive impact on society so that we can facilitate this broader impact.
IMPACT: A Journal on the Impact of Research
Scholars studying research impact rarely publish in the same places. IMPACT will change that. This new meta-disciplinary journal aims to feature articles, blogs, videos, podcast that showcase rigorous evidence on when research moves the needle and how to do it better. By welcoming voices from funders, practitioners, and publishers alongside academics, IMPACT aims to reshape the culture of assessment and learning.
AU Research on Translation
Finally, RIPIL is turning the lens inward, mapping how AU faculty already co-create knowledge with policymakers, entrepreneurs, and communities. Through mixed-methods case studies across disciplines, we are documenting existing pathways, identifying bottlenecks, and sharing lessons that any institution can adapt.
Our Team
Susanna Campbell, American University (PI)
Raychelle Burks, American University (Co-PI)
Jordan Tama, American University (Co-PI)
Pauline Zerla, American University (Postdoctoral Fellow)
Partners
Read the work
Publications forthcoming