A Decade of Discovery: Reflecting on 10 Years of Social Science Research Transitions

The concept of transitioning research into the day-to-day operations of the NWS and other practitioner spaces in the weather enterprise has been a long-standing challenge. In response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other federal agencies developed frameworks and processes aimed at bridging the gap between research and practice, commonly referred to as research transitions. While these frameworks and processes have proven effective for implementing new meteorological technologies and tools, their application to the social, behavioral, and economic sciences has received less attention. However, over the last decade, there has been a notable shift in focus within the Weather, Water, and Climate community, with the social sciences emerging as a more integral part of our collective mission.

Much of this progress has been a result of significant community-driven efforts to address the challenges facing the social science community and to strive for improved research-to-operations processes. The 2018 National Academies of Science (NAS) report on Integrating Social and Behavioral Sciences into the Weather Enterprise and the 2019 NOAA Social and Behavioral Science Research to Operations Workshop were pivotal initiatives that actively engaged the research community, documented important challenges, and outlined crucial next steps for advancing social science transitions within our community. These informative efforts were used to identify a strategic approach to better integrate social science research and its outputs by guiding the people, processes, and organizational policies surrounding NOAA’s transition process. Coupled with more sustained funding for social science research within NOAA, these initiatives have opened up more opportunities to foster operational collaborations and develop critical social science knowledge that benefits operational meteorologists and other Weather, Water, and Climate Enterprise practitioners.

This panel session will feature six participants who have been instrumental in transitioning social and behavioral science research into practice over the past decade. Each will deliver a high-energy, 5-minute lightning talk, reflecting on the successes, challenges, and lessons learned when moving social science research into operational settings. One presenter will also highlight our community’s efforts to improve the transition process over the last 10 years. These dynamic presentations will set the stage for a panel discussion, fostering an open dialogue of reflection among speakers and attendees. Finally, the panel will explore, alongside the social science research community, what the next 10 years may hold for social science transitions.

Speakers:

• Rachel Hogan Carr, Nature Nurture Center
• Dr. Joe Ripberger, University of Oklahoma
• Dr. Makenzie Krocak, NOAA/OAR/NSSL
• Dr. Joseph Trujillo- Falcón, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
• Dr. Elizabeth Hurst, University of Oklahoma
• Dr. Grace Ahn, University of Georgia