Action Area Two: Prioritize the social impact of research findings

To elevate the value of community knowledge and ensure it is translated into action, Academia can redefine tenure and promotion criteria to recognize research quality, research dissemination and publications outside traditional academic outlets, social impact, and relationship-building as demonstrations of research productivity over publication quantity or secured funding; Non-profits can co-develop dissemination products (i.e., lay summaries, policy briefs, fact sheets, newspaper commentaries, accurate multilingual materials, community reports) that support community desired framing, action, decision-making, advocacy, and problem-solving; Funders can allow grantees to share findings in their preferred way (e.g., storytelling, videos, a social media campaign); and Journals can publish editorials, commentaries, articles, field notes, and special issues emphasizing anti-colonial, anti-racist, and intersectional frameworks and equitable research practices.

• Fund research methods and approaches that align with the research question(s) and the social/cultural norms that are appropriate in the community where the research is being conducted
• Support capacity building that addresses needs identified by non-profits
• Allow grantees to share findings in their preferred way (storytelling, videos, a social media campaign, etc.)
• Prioritize and support high-impact dissemination activities (e.g., advocacy training, media prep, messaging campaigns, and other communications support, convenings, etc.)

• Publish editorials, commentaries, articles, field notes, and special issues emphasizing anti-colonial, anti-racist, and intersectional frameworks and equitable research practices
• Update instructions for authors to highlight openness to diverse methods and perspectives
• Present at conferences (AcademyHealth, IAPHS, APHA) or local community meetings, etc., to normalize health equity-centered publishing practices (change the narrative)

• Reward and provide faculty with resources for mentorship of junior and mid-career scholars
• Redefine tenure and promotion criteria to recognize research quality, research dissemination, and publications outside traditional academic outlets, social impact, and relationship-building as demonstrations of research productivity over publication quantity or secured funding
• Develop documentation guidelines and metrics to reflect these activities

• Co-develop dissemination products (i.e., lay summaries, policy briefs, fact sheets, newspaper commentaries, accurate multilingual materials, community reports) that support community desired framing, action, decision-making, advocacy, and problem-solving
• Document and elevate community stories, lived experiences, and community-defined knowledge alongside traditional research findings, and advocate for institutional and government policies that recognize these forms of knowledge as equally valuable sources of evidence