Often, when scientists conduct research on a particular social problem, they hope that their work will help solve this larger problem. But translating findings into long-lasting, community-focused solutions is much more difficult than most expect.
It seems intuitive that scientists studying living organisms, microbes, and ecosystems could apply their findings to combat food shortages, keep the environment healthy, and improve human and animal health. But it’s not always that easy. Issues such as climate change, renewable energy, public health and migration are complex and make it difficult to develop and implement direct solutions.
When a group of researchers invests in helping scientists make a meaningful impact through their work, we understand that problems like this will require experts from different fields and sectors to work together.
This means that if we want to improve our capacity as members of the scientific community to produce solution-focused research, we may need to re-evaluate certain aspects of the research process and embrace new perspectives.
Defining use-inspired research
Science does not occur in a vacuum. Factors such as availability of funding, access to advanced technologies, and political or social contexts can influence the types of research conducted. A framework called usage-inspired research and interaction, or UIRE, recognizes this fact.
In use-inspired research, the potential applications of the findings to society shape the direction of discovery.
At UIRE, researchers work with members of a community to figure out what questions they should examine. They form partnerships with other stakeholders, including governments, businesses of all sizes, and nonprofits to build a collaborative foundation. This way, researchers can tailor research to be useful and usable for decision makers from the very beginning.
Translational research, or deliberately grounding scientific research in practical applications, is not new. Usage-inspired research expands translational research by prioritizing connecting practitioners and communities.
The passage of CHIPS and the Science Act in the US in 2022 further codified use-inspired research. The law allocates $280 billion over the next 10 years to fund scientific research to increase domestic competitiveness, innovation and national security.
This law also authorized the creation of the National Science Foundation’s Directorate of Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships, called NSF TIP. TIP represents the agency’s first new directorate in more than three decades, created to foster the growth of diverse innovation and technology environments.
Creating science collaboratively
Collaboration in use-inspired research and engagement is a big part of every project, from the moment researchers first decide what to work on. These collaborative partnerships continue throughout data collection and analysis. Together, these teams implement results and develop products, implement behavioral changes, or further inform community decision-making.
For example, a large hospital, an academic institution, and several nonprofit organizations might partner together to research issues affecting accessibility to healthcare in the area. Researchers collect data through surveys and interviews and interpret the findings within the context of the society’s unique conditions. They can then coordinate data evaluation with healthcare and nonprofit partners; This helps take into account socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs, and established infrastructure such as markets and public transportation.
This approach combines the broad perspectives of a large hospital network, academic expertise in survey creation and data analysis, and specialized knowledge of nonprofit organizations. These groups may then collaborate further to develop specific programs, such as educational initiatives and improved healthcare. They can tailor them to the needs of the community they serve.
Usage-inspired research is important because it looks holistically at all the different problems facing a community and keeps them in mind when exploring potential solutions. UIRE does not replace basic research that explores new questions to fundamentally understand a topic. Rather, it is an approach that focuses on selecting questions and developing methods based on real-world significance.
UIRE creates a foundation for long-term, inclusive partnerships, not just in academia. Government, community organisations, large corporations and startups can use the same principles of UIRE to share ideas and create solutions to problems facing their communities. Individuals from all backgrounds are equally integral to the entire process, further strengthening existing perspectives.
Use-inspired methods are not just about improving research results. A usage-inspired approach fosters innovation and technological advances across sectors. UIRE leads to well-rounded students when used in grades K-12.
This approach can also improve learning in workforce development areas, creating employees trained to connect.
UIRE provides platforms for the general public to participate in conversations about issues that affect their lives that they would not normally be able to be a part of.
Leveraging early career involvement
Use-inspired methods ask not only how, but also who contributes to scientific research and who benefits from it. They also focus on making findings accessible to those outside academia.
To produce necessary solutions to complex societal problems, institutions will need to continue to support traditional scientists who excel at pure basic research. They can also support training in use-inspired areas.
Early career professionals across industries will continue to play a key role in spreading and sustaining the cultural shifts necessary to embrace use-inspired research on a broader scale. These early-career professionals can bring new ideas to the table and create innovative approaches to problems.
To support translational research in the long term, institutions and supervisors can support students with applied learning opportunities from the first year of undergraduate courses to postgraduate fellowships. These opportunities can help students learn about UIRE and equip them with the skills needed to build cross-sector partnerships before entering the workforce.
By receiving mentorship from those outside academia, students and interns can be exposed to different career paths and find motivation to pursue opportunities outside of traditional academic roles. This mentoring encourages creative problem solving and adaptation.
UIRE provides a potential framework for tackling complex societal challenges. Creating opportunities for continued youth engagement will seed a vibrant future for use-inspired research and engagement.
This article is republished from The Conversation, an independent, nonprofit news organization providing facts and authoritative analysis to help you understand our complex world. Written by Zoey England University of Connecticut; Jennifer Forbey, Boise State Universityand Michael Muszynski, University of Hawaii
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Zoey England is currently completing a Use Inspired Research Science Communication fellowship funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. She also received funding from CTNext she.
Jennifer Forbey receives funding from the National Science Foundation.
Michael Muszynski receives funding from the National Science Foundation. Affiliated with the Maize Genetics Collaboration.