Citation:

Canfield, Katherine N., B. Hubbell, L. Rivers, B. Rodan, B. Hassett-Sipple, A. Rea, T. Gleason, A. Holder, C. Berg, C. Chatelain, S. Coefield, B. Schmidt, AND B. McCaughey. Lessons learned and recommendations in conducting solutions-driven environmental and public health research. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 354(March 2024):120270, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120270

Impact/Purpose:

Finding real-world solutions to environmental and public health challenges requires integrating expertise of scientists and stakeholders. Central to bridging the gap between science and practice is stakeholder participation, as engaging stakeholders in scientific research can lead to more informed decision-making and improved environmental and public health outcomes. EPA Office of Research and Development has drawn from principles and practice of transdisciplinary collaboration and translational science to develop a solutions-driven research approach that centers stakeholder participation and integrated research efforts. Solutions-driven research (SDR) is particularly relevant in fields such as environmental science, public health, and social policy, where scientific knowledge has direct implications for public well-being. Focusing on co-production of knowledge and integration of stakeholders throughout the process, SDR encourages multidisciplinary teams of scientists to collaborate in understanding the socioeconomic and biophysical aspects of environmental challenges and develop integrated solutions that fit the needs of stakeholders (Eisenhauer et al., 2021; Watts, 2017). Two projects at EPA recently piloted this solutions-driven research approach, tackling the challenges of (1) coastal nutrient management and (2) reducing indoor wildfire smoke exposure. This paper presents results of a social science research effort to learn from EPA and stakeholder participants about what went well and opportunities for improvement in applying SDR moving forward. Recommendations from this paper can help EPA in continued SDR efforts to provide useful solutions to environmental and public health challenges in the twenty-first century.

Description:

Solutions-driven research is a transdisciplinary approach that incorporates diverse forms of expertise to identify solutions to stakeholder-identified environmental problems. This qualitative evaluation of early solutions-driven research projects provides transferable recommendations to improve researcher and stakeholder experiences and outcomes in transdisciplinary environmental research projects. Researchers with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development recently piloted a solutions-driven research approach in two parallel projects; one addressing nutrient management related to coastal waters and another studying wildland fire smoke impacts on indoor air quality. Studying the experiences of those involved with these pilots can enhance the integration of researcher and experiential expertise, improving solutions-driven research outcomes. Data collection included semi-structured interviews with 17 EPA researchers and 12 other stakeholders and reflective case narratives from the authors. We used conventional content analysis to qualitatively analyze perspectives on implementing innovative engagement and research approaches in a solutions-driven process. Findings that reflect common perspectives include the importance of continuous engagement, the challenges of differing timelines and priorities for researchers and stakeholders, and the need to define consistent markers of success across researchers and stakeholders. Key lessons to improve transdisciplinary research identified from the analysis are (1) improving clarity of roles and responsibilities; (2) planning to provide sufficient, continuous project funding over multiple years; (3) expecting research needs and plans to adapt to evolving circumstances; and (4) clearly defining the end of the project.

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