About Us
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
Social Science constantly impacts our lives, from insights on our health, educational outcomes, family development, government policies, criminal and juvenile justice systems, and how we can better protect those we care about the most. It also provides the lens through which we can understand our own experience in the larger societal context, where we can seek to enhance the quality of life and improve the outcomes of those most at risk. Social scientists measure efficiency in our governments and effectiveness in our programs.
And while moving forward the progress of science alone is vitally important, the true value of these insights can only be felt by bridging the gap between academia and government, science and policy, researchers and policymakers. This work requires development across the research-to-policy continuum, from input to output, from chaos to harmony and from raw data to making impact. This is the work of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at Penn State.
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative, supported by the Social Science Research Institute, is comprised of dedicated Penn State researchers distributed across the domains of social science focused on translating research findings into practical insights for decision makers, with the ultimate aim to support the policymaking process and improve human outcomes.
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative Podcast
Objectives of the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
Facilitate the translation of evidence-based social science research into measurable societal impact by increasing the practical relevance of science for policymakers and practitioners for use in decision-making.
Improve the uptake of scientific knowledge into decision-making through trust-building and consensus. Illustrate the impact of social science research and its direct value outside of academic settings to society and across all levels of government.
Leverage sensitive data for cutting-edge research, forwarding the state-of-the-science across interdisciplinary domains by utilizing the secure infrastructure and innovative processes of the Administrative Data Accelerator.
Accelerate the process to access, secure, link and analyze sensitive human data, while simultaneously providing the core infrastructure to protect privacy and confidentiality and forwarding the discussion on ethical implications.
Foster strategic partnerships and collaborations to capitalize on intersections from diverse sectors and disciplines.
Recognizing a Need
There is an established disconnect between researchers, practitioners and policymakers across interdisciplinary domains.
There is increased demand for demonstrated translational, real-world impact from funding agencies and external partners.
There is a growing desire from the academic community to make authentic, measured impacts on society.
Penn State Connection
Penn State is the ideal home for this effort, where we take our land-grant role with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to heart and maintain deep and historic connections to federal partners. The innovative social science taking place across 24 campuses throughout Pennsylvania both serves students and communities as well as carries out the Penn State mission of teaching, research, and service. And as a national and international leader in groundbreaking, interdisciplinary research, our reach, influence and impact is global. And so is our mindset.
Meet The Host
Michael Donovan
Host
As the Director of Policy & Outreach at Penn State University’s Administrative Data Accelerator, Michael leads the Accelerator’s policy and government operations and facilitates collaborative projects between external partners and researchers. Michael’s work interfaces with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as well as the federal government, and touches on a variety of substantive areas, including data science and analytics, health outcomes, human development, substance abuse, child welfare, prevention science, criminal justice and corrections, education policy, demography, disparities and disadvantaged populations, among others. He brings nearly a decade of government experience to this role – previously serving at the White House under President Barack Obama and coordinating the execution of the administration’s strategic agenda. He is particularly passionate about supporting the use of research for evidence-based policy making across government to improve programs and enhance efficiency.
