Linking knowledge to action: the role of boundary spanners in translating ecology

Safford, Hugh D.; Sawyer, Sarah C.; Kocher, Susan D; Hiers, J. Kevin; Cross, Molly S.

doi:10.1002/fee.1731

Cited by 114 publications

(81 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Under these constraints, there is a need to improve mechanisms to ensure that the best available science is relevant and accessible to policy and management (Rose et al 2018). Fundamental to this is the establishment of relationships between researchers and managers that foster the acquisition and dissemination of science (Safford et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish and flow management in the Murray–Darling Basin: Directions for research

Koehn¹,

Balcombe²,

Zampatti³

2019

Eco Management Restoration

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Summary Effective natural resource management requires knowledge exchange between researchers and managers to support evidence‐based decision‐making. To achieve this, there is a need to align research with management and policy needs. This project aimed to identify the flow‐related ecological knowledge needs for freshwater fish to better inform environmental water management in the Murray–Darling Basin, south‐eastern Australia. Our major objective was to provide an up‐to‐date assessment of scientific research and integrate this with the knowledge requirements of relevant managers to guide future research. We reviewed the contemporary scientific literature and engaged managers specifically responsible for delivering flows for fish outcomes via a questionnaire and workshop. Research on fishes of the MDB has generally evolved from single locations and/or times to larger spatio‐temporal scales, including multiple sites, rivers and catchments. There has also been a trend from single life stage studies to incorporation of multiple life stages and population processes. There remain, however, significant deficiencies in knowledge for most native species, many of which are threatened. Four agreed key knowledge gaps were derived from the literature review and managers’ suggestions: (i) population dynamics, (ii) movement, dispersal and connectivity, (iii) survival and recruitment to adults and (iv) recruitment drivers. To inform policy and management, managers desired timely advice, based on robust research and monitoring. Fish species of most relevance to managers were those highly regarded by community stakeholders and whose life histories and population dynamics are potentially influenced by flow. Populations of these mostly large‐bodied, angling species (e.g. Murray Cod, Golden Perch and Silver Perch) have declined, often due to river regulation and, in conjunction with managers’ priorities, are relevant candidates for research to support the management of flow to rehabilitate fish populations in the MDB.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fish and flow management in the Murray–Darling Basin: Directions for research

Koehn¹,

Balcombe²,

Zampatti³

2019

Eco Management Restoration

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“…There is compelling evidence -in the form of burgeoning numbers of boundary organizations (described below) -suggesting that translational skills are currently in high demand (Safford et al 2017). For example, needs for decision support and adaptive solutions in the context of climate change (NRC 2009) are being met by substantial investments of federal resources into programs specifically targeted to bridge the research-application divide.…”

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confidence: 99%

Developing a translational ecology workforce

Schwartz

Hiers

Davis

et al. 2017

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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We define a translational ecologist as a professional ecologist with diverse disciplinary expertise and skill sets, as well as a suitable personal disposition, who engages across social, professional, and disciplinary boundaries to partner with decision makers to achieve practical environmental solutions. Becoming a translational ecologist requires specific attention to obtaining critical non-scientific disciplinary breadth and skills that are not typically gained through graduate-level education. Here, we outline a need for individuals with broad training in interdisciplinary skills, use our personal experiences as a basis for assessing the types of interdisciplinary skills that would benefit potential translational ecologists, and present steps that interested ecologists may take toward becoming translational. Skills relevant to translational ecologists may be garnered through personal experiences, informal training, short courses, fellowships, and graduate programs, among others. We argue that a translational ecology workforce is needed to bridge the gap between science and natural resource decisions. Furthermore, we argue that this task is a cooperative responsibility of individuals interested in pursuing these careers, educational institutions interested in training scientists for professional roles outside of academia, and employers seeking to hire skilled workers who can foster stakeholder-engaged decision making. A s the severity of global environmental challenges deepens, ecologists are being increasingly called upon to engage with decision makers to identify solutions that are socially acceptable. Such solutions must be salient, credible, and legitimate in order to be effective (Cash et al. 2003).For research to inform natural resource decision making, it must be driven by stakeholder problems and concerns, and should involve a collaborative process between researchers and users of the products of that research. However, bridging gaps among the varied cultures of requisite disciplines to formulate practical, implementable policy and management solutions remains a major impediment (Cook et al. 2013). Natural resource managers, for example, routinely highlight the lack of meaningful personal interactions with scientists as a primary limiting constraint on the use of science in developing adaptation strategies (eg Armitage et al. 2015;Meadow et al. 2015).Traditional graduate training, which continues to emphasize the importance of curiosity-and theory-driven inquiry, is often insufficient for developing aptitude to inform practical solutions (Graybill et al. 2006). Framing research is classically motivated by targeting the most intellectually novel and stimulating research questions based on the scientific literature. These cutting-edge science questions, however, are often not tuned to finding solutions to society's most pressing problems. Furthermore, this emerging training need for science to meet global environmental challenges extends beyond "Pasteur's quadrant" (Stokes 1997), in which science can r...

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“…; Safford et al . ; Schwartz et al . ) detail these and other institutional changes that will enable translational ecologists.…”

Section: Overcoming Institutional Barriers To Tementioning

confidence: 99%

“…), with the objective of guiding scientists interested in TE (see Safford et al . for roadmaps aimed at practitioners). Elsewhere (eg Wall et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigating translational ecology: creating opportunities for scientist participation

Hallett

Morelli

Gerber

et al. 2017

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

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Interest in translational ecology (TE) -a research approach that yields useful scientific outcomes through ongoing collaboration between scientists and stakeholders -is growing among both of these groups. Translational ecology brings together participants from different cultures and with different professional incentives. We address ways to cultivate a culture of TE, such as investing time in understanding one another's decision context and incentives, and outline common entry points to translational research, such as working through boundary organizations, building place-based research programs, and being open to opportunities as they arise. We also highlight common institutional constraints on scientists and practitioners, and ways in which collaborative research can overcome these limitations, emphasizing considerations for navigating TE within current institutional frameworks, but also pointing out ways in which institutions are evolving to facilitate translational research approaches.

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Linking knowledge to action: the role of boundary spanners in translating ecology

Cited by 114 publications

References 41 publications

Fish and flow management in the Murray–Darling Basin: Directions for research

Fish and flow management in the Murray–Darling Basin: Directions for research

Developing a translational ecology workforce

Navigating translational ecology: creating opportunities for scientist participation

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