A report released in October 2024 by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and The Pew Charitable Trusts looks at ways to enhance structural support for public impact research (PIR), which is solution-centered research explicitly designed to address societal problems. Amid complex issues such as climate change, public health challenges, and deepening inequalities, PIR aims to bridge scholarly inquiry with societal needs through partnerships with community organizations, government, and industry.
The report, “Fostering the Public Impact Research Ecosystem,” builds on the work of research institutions, funders, and academic leaders that increasingly emphasizes the importance of research serving the public good. The paper highlights insights from a workshop earlier in the year attended by more than 60 participants from professional associations, government agencies, foundations, academia, and conveners from around the world. Together, the participants explored opportunities to cultivate incentives, infrastructure, and culture within and beyond higher education to expand research strategies that address the needs of a changing world. They noted that PIR is not intended to replace long-established research methods, but rather to complement basic science and strengthen the research system as a whole.
The report outlines several key priorities that emerged from the workshop:
The report underscores that a variety of actors must work in concert to achieve these priorities and be champions for PIR’s role in finding solutions.
The partnership between Pew and APLU demonstrates the momentum that can be achieved through collaborative efforts. Through the Transforming Evidence Funders Network (TEFN), Pew has convened a coalition of more than 80 research funders dedicated to closing the gap between research and real-world outcomes and enhancing research contributions to tackle societal challenges.
In a complementary effort, in 2024, Pew’s evidence project director, Angela Bednarek, together with TEFN and President Neeli Bendapudi of The Pennsylvania State University, facilitated the creation of the Presidents and Chancellors Council on Public Impact Research. This council brings together leaders from 18 campuses in the U.S. and Canada, with the goal of strengthening infrastructure for public-facing research and illustrating the many ways research enhances lives and communities. Over the next two years, the council plans to partner with TEFN funders and other thought leaders to 1) highlight and strengthen efforts to support university infrastructure for public-facing research, and 2) demonstrate the many ways in which research shapes positive outcomes for people and communities.
At the same time, APLU’s Supporting Public Impact Research through Institutional Transformation research-practice partnership is exploring how institutional changes to faculty evaluation and assessment can broaden definitions of valuable scholarship. This partnership’s efforts can also support scholars who are pursuing public impact research, building on the framework developed by the Modernizing Scholarship for the Public Good initiative and other related activities.
Pew’s Bednarek said of the new APLU-Pew report, “This collaboration shows momentum for expanding research impact across many sectors—including higher education, the funding community, and beyond. The challenges we’re working to address are too big for these efforts to be siloed. By bringing them into alignment, we aim to create systemic change that benefits not just academia, but society at large.”
As Pew and APLU continue this work, the full report provides frameworks for advancing a research environment that highlights innovative, inclusive, and impactful solutions—an environment that’s essential in order for research to both expand knowledge and serve the public good.
Jocelyn Hastings is a senior associate and Benjamin Olneck-Brown is an officer with The Pew Charitable Trusts' evidence project.