About IMPACT

About IMPACT

Policies put into place by government, worksites, professional organizations, industry, and health systems profoundly influence the environments in which we grow and live, our health, and our system of health care.

Yet it is often challenging for the decision-makers who create these policies to use the latest research and evidence to guide their decision-making.

When researchers seek to better support these decision-makers, their efforts are often under-resourced and overlooked.

The Impacting Policy by Accelerating Translation (IMPACT) Program aims to be the institutional engine for evidence translation into policy, guidelines, and regulations.

IMPACT-Oriented Science

When we refer to research impact in this context, we are describing work that influences policies, systems, and structures. These policies can be governmental or non-governmental.  

Both governmental and non-governmental policies powerfully shape our environment and thus our individual behaviors. Many times, their influence can seem invisible. However, governmental and non-governmental policies have just as great (and often greater) impact on individual behaviors and outcomes as individual-level programs and medical care. 

Accelerating Our IMPACT

It can take years for a research discovery or evidence-informed policy proposal to move outside of the lab or academic institution to impact the health of real people.

An important way to minimize this time from discovery to policy is to translate research for real-world decision-makers.
 
If we do not participate in translating evidence for decision-makers, non-scientists and non-providers will step in to fill the void. 

IMPACT-oriented scientists often:

  • Examine the impact of policies, as well as strategies to change systems and structures.
  • Identify and engage the people, organizations, and institutions that can make changes in policies, systems, and structures.
  • Embrace the discomfort of not “staying in our lane.”

The IMPACT program can help guide and support you in doing this type of work.

Questions that drive IMPACT-oriented science:
  • What data do decision-makers need to embark on evidence-informed policy changes? 
    • How can I contribute to finding that data?
  • What policies, systems and structures are resulting in inequitable outcomes? 
  • How can we rigorously examine the impact of alternatives?
  • Whose interests are served by how the policy problem (and solution) gets defined?
  • What evidence-informed alternatives are not being seriously considered?
  • What is the current social and political climate? 
    • Is it open to addressing your issue? 
    • If not, are there some interim solutions that can be considered?
  • What are the political constraints and opportunities faced by decision-makers?
Guiding Principles for an IMPACT-oriented Scientist:
A rectangle divided into four rectangles with a rectangle in the middle listing the guiding principles for an IMPACT-oriented scientist . Each rectangle is a different color (turquoise, green, purple, orange, and blue) and has text stating one guiding principle with an icon that matches. The guiding principles are: 1. A broad range of decision-makers in organizations, institutions, and communities when informed by relevant evidence, will be influential in changing systems and structures; 2. Researchers can learn to be sensitive and responsive to the real-world constraints of policies that affect decision-makers; 3. Authentic partnerships between researchers and real-world decision makers can promote health equity and value; 4. UCSF has an institutional responsibility to support researchers in work that advances real-world health, health equity, and healthcare policy; 5. Researchers have an obligation to translate science with the goal of advancing health, health equity, and healthcare policy.
Core Competencies of an IMPACT-oriented Scientist
A circle divided into 4 parts (purple, orange, green, and turquoise), listing one of the core competencies of an IMPACT-oriented scientist in each part with a small icon to match the topic. The four core competencies are: 1. Recognizing your responsibilities; 2. Growing an IMPACT-oriented career; Partnering with decision-makers; and 4. Translating for decision-makers. There is a smaller blue circle in the middle of the larger circle, overlapping the 4 parts. The 5th core competency, conducting IMPACT-oriented science, is written in the middle of the circle.

 

 

A head shot of Hilary Seligman. Hilary is fair skinned woman with brown hair, and light colored eyes. She is wearing a blue shirt and black glasses, and standing in front of a grey background.
"Applying research to inform local, state, and federal policy has allowed us to take what we have learned as researchers and improve the health of the community."
Hilary Seligman, MD, MAS
Co-Director, IMPACT
A head shot of Laura Schmidt. Laura is a fair skinned woman with brown hair and blue eyes. She is standing in front of windows on a building. She is wearing a white button up shirt with a tan jacket over it. She is also wearing a pearl necklace.
"UCSF scientists have a long tradition of moving policies that reduce the health-harms of commercial substances including tobacco, alcohol and junk food."
Laura Schmidt, PhD, MSW, MPH
Co-Director, IMPACT