A recent white paper from Sage, “Do social scientists care if they make societal impact?” showed, yes, researchers are strongly committed to having an impact. However, they face some challenges and do not see their institutions as supportive of that goal. The paper draws on survey responses from over 1,800 social and behavioral science (SBS) researchers across 96 countries.
Other findings include:
- 92 percent of respondents agree that the ultimate goal of research is to benefit society, but only 76 percent believe that their peers share the same view, dropping to 68 percent for their institutional leadership.
- 37 percent of respondents say their institutions reward applying research outside academia, while 30 percent say they receive no recognition at all. Presentations were noted as the most common manner to support usage of research findings outside of academia.
- Researchers claim that career advancement matters less to them than research impact.
FABBS helps researchers expand their impact in a variety of ways. Our journal, Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences (PIBBS), translates scientific reviews into accessible, policy-relevant insights for decision-makers. FABBS regularly shares PIBBS articles with relevant congressional and federal agency colleagues. We also enhance visibility of the behavioral and brain sciences with the Early Career Impact Award, recognizing outstanding contributions from those who have increased awareness of science through outreach activities to the public.
