Organizational Affiliation & Sponsorship
There are multiple avenues for organizations to get involved in the Research-to-Policy Collaboration Project. Organizations can support RPC efforts directly via sponsorships, which may include a monetary contribution or the provision of staff capacity. Organizations can also support the RPC with in-kind contributions. We recognize that some scientific and nonprofit organizations are wary about lobbying regulations. We are strictly non-partisan and do not lobby. Read more about our non-partisan approach HERE.
Sponsorship
Sponsorships are an invaluable means for supporting research translation. By contributing to RPC projects, your organization will help further the application of science to policy and advance wellbeing.
Sponsorships also offer the opportunity to improve the visibility of your organization. Sponsors of events or collaborative products are acknowledged for their generosity in a number of outlets, which may include the RPC website, events (e.g., brochures can be made available), and in published documents including proceedings and reports.
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Monetary sponsorships go to support a number of functions, including:
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Supporting participants' travel from various parts of the United States to attend events in Washington, D.C. The RPC budget is designed to cover the cost of project coordination, however, there are insufficient funds to cover participants’ travel entirely. Because participants will be asked to volunteer their time to consult with government offices, it is expected that travel support will increase the viability of recruiting esteemed individuals with the needed expertise.
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Supporting direct costs, including the cost of printed materials, time for coordinating or facilitating meetings and events, and more.
We would like to acknowledge those who have contributed to the success of the 2019-2020 rapid response events!
In-Kind Contributions
The RPC also welcomes in-kind contributions, such as:
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Recruiting researchers who can contribute to the array of expertise in the Rapid Response Network. Please see below for more details on researcher recruitment.
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Contributing to event planning, such as congressional briefings, by identifying speakers, disseminating invitations, and other supportive efforts.
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Supporting the development of a policy brief that relates to current legislative priorities by synthesizing relevant research.
Researcher Recruitment
We think of “researchers” as inclusive of traditional academic researchers, practitioners who apply lessons learned from research, and evaluation practitioners who use data-driven approaches to support the use of evidence in practice.
Organizations can support the RPC by sharing information with their staff and/or membership networks about this opportunity.
Please consider sharing the below description for recruitment:
The Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC) involves preparing and engaging researchers around policy efforts related to their expertise because doing so is thought to support policymakers' use of research evidence. The RPC is currently developing a network of researchers, including those in applied settings, who have expertise and experience related to children and families, such as child maltreatment, substance use in families, human trafficking, and other issue areas. Ultimately, the RPC aims to facilitate collaborative relationships with policymakers around using research in ways that advance child and family well-being.
Please consider joining the Rapid Response Network. There are no costs associated with participation and you will receive updates regarding related policies and opportunities to share your expertise with policymakers. This network may also support scholarly networking, professional development (e.g., writing for non-academic audiences), and documentable scholarly impact. To learn more, please review our information for Participating Researchers. To join, please complete our member registration form, which asks about your areas of expertise so that we may minimize future communications to those that are relevant to you. Interested members can contact Taylor Scott with questions or for further information.
Measurable Objectives
As a research-driven approach, the RPC seeks to achieve measurable objectives that will be evaluated to understand the mechanisms and conditions that support the initiation and maintenance of productive partnerships between researchers and policymakers.
Specifically, we aim to elucidate ways to improve our efforts, strengthen the research base on mechanisms that may bridge the research-policy gap, and demonstrate the feasibility and the need for continuing or expanding this work.
The RPC strives to effect change in the following ways:
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Increase the use of research evidence in legislative offices. This is measured through introduction of bills, communications by the office, as well as self-report.
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Influence researchers’ approach to scientific explorations, using input from interactions with legislative offices. We believe that these connections are important for informing the research community on the types of questions they could explore that would be most relevant and responsive to policymakers’ needs.
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Improve the translation of research evidence into law. We seek to develop model language that can be used to further support collaboration efforts.
Click HERE to read more about our efforts to evaluate and improve our approach.
