Special Events:
Pre-Conference Workshop - Research to Policy Boot Camp: A Communications Toolkit for Researchers
To make a difference in today’s policy ecosystem, scholars must think beyond the academic journal. With funding often contingent on real-world influence, many academics and organizations know they must modernize but don’t know how.
The Urban Institute is pioneering new ways to communicate and share what we’ve learned in a research to policy boot camp. Known for our world-class scholarship in social and economic policy, Urban does more than build knowledge. We translate it, share it, and apply our fact-based insights in the real world, from neighborhoods to state capitals and the halls of Congress.
This workshop teaches researchers how to navigate the fragmented media and policy landscape by making their insights accessible to diverse audiences, forming a narrative, developing an outreach plan, and putting it into action. Each session of the workshop focuses on a different communication strategy: data visualization, presentation skills, social media, blog writing, interacting with reporters, and developing a cohesive communication strategy. Speakers—each of whom is an expert in his or her field—share their strategies to help attendees gain the skills and tools they need to communicate in modern, sophisticated ways.
Many researchers and scholars resist the idea of developing a communication strategy, thinking either that it doesn’t matter, that someone else will do it, or that their work will be naturally discovered. Developing a communication strategy—and implementing that strategy—recognizes the importance of making research accessible to wider audiences, decisionmakers, and policymakers. In this workshop, researchers will learn practical strategies and skills that will enable them to communicate their work to their desired audiences.
Registration for this workshop is separate from the full conference registration. The cost for this workshop is $50 for APPAM members and $65 for non-members. Onsite registration will be available.
