CSTPR Noontime Seminar

Transitioning Research to Operations in an Applied Science Program
by Elizabeth McNie, Western Water Assessment
Abstract: There is a growing call for efforts to successfully transition research to operations, applications and commercialization (R2X) in order to bring science to bear in solving discrete problems. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has several programs in place to support R2X. This project examined the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments (RISA) programs to evaluate the state of R2X in this applied science program. Findings are both consistent with prior research on the best practices and barriers to doing successful R2X and also reveal new findings that could help advance R2X in NOAA and in the RISA program. In either case, opportunities exist within the RISA program to further advance efforts to implement R2X strategies.
Bio: Elizabeth McNie is a Research Scientist at the Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, and a Research Fellow at the Center for Science and Technology Policy Research. She is an expert in science policy and the design and implementation of use-inspired research, particularly in the field of climate-change adaptation. She currently serves as the evaluation coordinator at WWA where her research focuses on understanding the effectiveness of use-inspired research and boundary organizations. Previously she was an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in the departments of Political Science and Earth & Atmospheric Sciences.