How Can Academic Researchers More Effectively Contribute to Environmental Toxicology and Health Efforts for Regulatory Decisions, Policymakers, Nonprofits, and Communities?

Most ecological and human environmental health researchers are motivated both by curiosity and a desire to do work that will be useful sooner rather than later. However, the academic research process does not always produce and present results that meet the needs of those we imagine using it beyond other researchers. The aim of this review was to discuss needs and opportunities associated with research question development, experimental design, data sharing, science communication, and community engagement, with the goal of supporting regulators, policymakers, environmental nonprofits, and pollution-impacted communities. For example, each regulatory agency has unique policies regarding study characteristics required before the agency includes the study results in its policy-making. To illustrate the extent of this problem: systematic reviews used by policymakers often keep only approximately 5% of papers originally found, because others fail to meet inclusion criteria of which academics are often unaware. The review also details the importance of data sharing via databases and science communication and opportunities for engagement with policy-makers, nonprofits, and communities, and obstacles that researchers face in conducting research that generates data useful to such groups. Our findings demonstrate that while not all academic research can or needs to be designed to be quickly applicable, opportunities exist where this is possible with relatively minor changes to typical academic practices. It is hoped that this review will help identify ways that academic researchers might both address fundamental, basic research knowledge gaps and contribute more directly and rapidly to policy making and community needs.