PRB

The Challenge

With more data and information about population and health trends available than ever before, it’s challenging for policymakers, program directors, and other non-technical audiences to find and understand the research and data they need to inform policy and program decisions. At the same time, many population researchers lack the translational expertise needed to effectively bridge the gap between academic research and policy and program implementation.

The Center for Public Information on Population Research (CPIPR) at PRB was developed to help bridge this gap. Funded by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), it serves as the Coordinating Center for the NICHD Population Dynamics Centers Research Infrastructure Program. Through CPIPR, PRB translates and disseminates major peer-reviewed findings to nontechnical audiences via a specialized website, online and print media, and social media channels.

Our Approach

The popresearchcenters.org website explains and publicizes the findings of research from the 20+ Population Dynamics Research Centers and provides a centralized source of information about new research and events at the Centers.

Key Center activities include:

• Facilitation of coordination and cooperation across the NICHD-funded Population Dynamics Research Centers to enhance the productivity and scientific impact of the Centers and of population dynamics research overall.
• Translation and dissemination of major peer-reviewed findings, methods, and perspectives from population dynamics research to other scientists and to nontechnical audiences including policymakers, program directors, practitioners, educators, journalists, and students.
• Development and maintenance of a Population Dynamics Research Centers website that includes nontechnical summaries of recent research from the Centers.
• Promotion of Population Dynamics Centers research through social media channels.
• Organization of workshops at professional meetings and provision of training materials that empower Population Dynamics Center researchers to effectively communicate their own research results to policy, media, and nontechnical audiences.
• Collaboration with Population Dynamics Research Centers and other organizations to organize and host symposia, congressional briefings, and other events to raise the visibility of population dynamics research and link major findings to important policies and programs.

Outcomes

PRB helps Population Dynamics Center researchers publicize their findings. For example, PRB’s article, “Married Women With Children and a Male Partner Do More Housework Than Single Moms,” is based on Center research. Using Mother’s Day as a hook, we developed a press release (issued via PR Newswire), an op-ed placed with the Washington Post, and a social media campaign (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) including a short video and a series of posts. Our media relations team pitched the story to 300 media outlets, including major daily newspapers, national broadcast and print outlets, and key blogs and other online outlets. Our outreach results included 197 million media impressions through print, TV, radio, and online outlets. CPIPR also provided a one-hour media training for the four researchers to help them prepare for anticipated media interviews.