Connecting Science with Stakeholders (Core Science Keynote) (Invited Presentation)

Air quality presents an unusal opportunity for advanced atmospheric research to connect directly with stakeholders. In the U.S., air quality has been regulated at the national level since 1970, affecting federal, state, and local environmental managers, energy providers, public health organizations, advocacy groups, and others. Local air quality is determined by atmospheric chemistry and meteorology from local to global scales. The U.S. air quality management system is well placed to benefit from scientific advances in atmospheric chemistry and meteorology, but connecting research with policy needs requires careful coordination.

Here we discuss the experience and lessons learned from the NASA Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (2016-2019), and its predecessor the NASA Air Quality Applied Sciences Team (AQAST, 2011-2016). Through these two teams, researchers across the U.S. have advanced the connection between the research community and stakeholder decision frameworks.

Lessons learned and broader comments are relevant to scientists interested in policy engagement in air quality, climate, and beyond.