Project Summary (2006-2011)

The overall goal of the Research Translation Core is to translate research findings and scientific knowledge for government agencies, relevant business interests, and general audiences involved in the remediation of Superfund sites and efforts to protect public health. Specifically the objectives of the core are to:

1. Involve stakeholders and project investigators in the development of case studies to demonstrate how measurements from the lab on remediation technologies are scaled to larger, more complex conditions encountered at Superfund sites and how field results can be applied (scaled) to other sites;
2. Identify areas of emerging research significant to environmental health practice. The Core reviews key research findings, assesses their implications for policy and practice contexts, and develops a synthesis assessing how emerging research can be applied to identify and support actions to protect public health or improve environmental quality;
3. In partnership with government agencies, plan and conduct workshops that examine critical issues in application of environmental health sciences research results in policy contexts relevant to achieving the goals of the Superfund program, involving investigators in disciplines relevant to science and policy as well as government agencies working in areas such as risk assessment and benefits assessment;
4. Develop and evaluate communication methods to translate analyses developed through Aims 1 through 3, as well as the most recent research findings, into forms useful for technical audiences and government agencies, including federal and state health and environmental agencies, and the engineering profession, using products including research briefs that describe the context for the research, the questions investigated, the major findings, and the significance of findings from a practice perspective; and,
5. Develop and evaluate communication tools to translate analyses developed through Aims 1 through 3, as well as the most recent research findings, into forms useful and understandable for general audiences. These methods may include use of streamed video "short talks" by investigators presenting results in a conversational tone and communications tools such as research and policy briefs and web-based content.

This work better equips government agencies to use the most current knowledge in promoting public health practices. Further, it helps general audiences to better understand the significance of SBRP research and to participate in public policy discussions and it provides specifics on how to use the most current research in practical remediation projects.