Committee Drafts “Framework and Principles” for IAPHS Activities in Translation and Communication of Science

How can IAPHS best meet its goal to “improve population health by promoting the communication and application of science”?  The primary focus of IAPHS will be advancing science, but the organization also seeks to fill an important niche in helping to bridge science and policy/practice.

Early on, the IAPHS Board recognized that pursuing this goal would require advice from a group of wise and thoughtful scientists and practitioners.  How should IAPHS address the tension between the long-term evolution of scientific understanding and the real-time needs of decision-makers seeking actionable information? How could it design its role in a way that engaged individuals and groups eager to use science to guide their efforts as well as scientists concerned about the dangers of mixing science and advocacy?

The Translation Committee has offered a draft framework and principles to guide IAPHS.  It recommends that IAPHS “choose translational activities in the middle-ground—those able to promote both rigorous science and broader use of that science in decision-making,” and outlines three specific areas in which IAPHS should contribute: (1) building skills and infrastructure for science communication; (2) fostering engagement among population health scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and the media; and (3) supporting research synthesis and dissemination.

Read the full document and tell us what you think! The Committee’s framework will be provided to the new leaders elected by the IAPHS membership, along with your comments.  An “official” IAPHS position will await their action.