Project Summary (2010-2015)

To ensure the effective and timely use of the research products generated from the University of Arizona Superfund Basic Research Program (UA SBRP), active and effective communication between Program personnel and appropriate stakeholders must take place. Stakeholders for this Program include: federal, state and local government agencies, industry, environmental consulting firms, students, and the General Public. The overall goal of the Research Translation Core (RTC) is to actively communicate the research products generated by the UA SBRP to pertinent stakeholders in the most appropriate and effective manner. The Specific Aims planned for the RTC build upon the very successful prior RTC efforts and introduce new approaches to enhance these efforts. They also include a new effort to develop and apply metrics specific to environmental research translation. The Aims are:

1. Dynamically transfer information generated by the UA SBRP to increase stakeholder's level of knowledge regarding hazardous wastes, environmental contaminants, and human-health risk;
2. Build upon and nurture existing partnerships with government agencies and other entities and develop additional long-term collaborations;
3. Facilitate the transfer of technology (moving research findings into application) by increasing the number of demonstration projects at Superfund sites; and
4. Develop metrics for environmental research translation, and apply them to evaluate the effectiveness of environmental research translation efforts specific to the demographics of the southwestern United States.

   The RTC's strategy for achieving effective and timely translation of Program research products includes: maintaining current and developing new linkages and partnerships with stakeholders, transferring technology through completion of demonstration projects and application for patents, and communicating with stakeholders through the continued development of the UA website, creation of a public access television show, production of review papers, and participating in and hosting seminars, meetings, and conferences.