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ERIC Number: ED612824
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2021-Jan
Pages: 9
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Forging Connections: Grantee Experiences Reaching Audiences beyond the Academic World
Neier, Lenore
William T. Grant Foundation
Last year, the William T. Grant Foundation took stock of its initiative to support research on reducing inequality in youth outcomes. The aim was to understand, in part, the pathways through which grantees' research findings may be reaching audiences including researchers, journalists, policymakers, and practitioners. Five years into the reducing inequality initiative, what evidence is there of such reach, and what signs were there that the funded research was relevant and meaningful to subsequent research, policy, and practice? The review showed that the William T. Grant Foundation is funding a diverse, highly accomplished group of researchers who are carrying out rigorous studies that span policy domains. Despite the relatively early stage of the initiative, several studies have yielded causal information about programs or policies that reduce inequality. Others have identified promising mechanisms for reducing inequality that could be tested in future research. On a number of measures, grantees appear to be leading voices in their disciplines and research areas. To explore engagement with broader audiences, the author reviewed the communication and outreach activities of all major research grantees and William T. Grant Scholars whose studies focused on reducing inequality (67 as of December 2019). On their annual reports, nearly half reported forging connections beyond academia through communications activities such as writing op-eds, providing radio and television interviews, drafting policy and legal briefs, and participating in legislative meetings. For a deeper dive into these activities, the author interviewed a subset of grantees who had reported outreach activities external to the research community. The researchers interviewed reported similar qualities and processes consistent with the approach of interacting with policy makers and practitioners, listening and responding even as they bring relevant evidence to light.
William T. Grant Foundation. 570 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022. Tel: 212-752-0071; Fax: 212-752-1398; e-mail: info@wfgrantfdn.org; Web site: http://wtgrantfoundation.org/
Publication Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: William T. Grant Foundation
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A