National Research Conference on
Child and Family Programs and Policy
Pre-Conference Workshop
Offered by Joanne Lynn Sobeck, Ph.D.
Wayne State University, School of Social Work
Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 1:30-4:45pm
Joanne Sobeck, Ph.D., is an Associate Dean for Research and Director of the Center for Social Work Practice and Policy Research in the School of Social Work at Wayne State University. In this capacity she directs strategies to ensure a supportive infrastructure for faculty scholarship and research. She facilitates community partnerships to explore and generate researchable solutions to current problems with resources that build capacity and improve access to social work knowledge and evidence-based practice. Dr. Sobeck’s own research interests include substance abuse, community capacity building, and processes related to policy, program development, implementation and evaluation. She has 25 years in conducting community-based research, which provides a strong basis for her teaching, mentoring and successful collaborations fulfilling the School’s urban mission.In this workshop, participants will learn about the roles of universities in conducting community-based research, principles of effective research collaborations, and the challenges of creating community-engaged partnerships. Profiles of various partnerships will be examined for lessons in selecting partners, building relationships, sustaining activities or meeting new needs for continued learning and partnership growth. Strategies will be shared that build trust, expertise and commitment to maximize assets of all partners, including funding and leveraging resources for successful community-based research.
Workshop 2- "Bridging Research and Policy"
Offered by Martha Zaslow, Ph.D.
Society for Research on Child Development
Tuesday, July 24, 2012, 1:30-4:45pm
Martha Zaslow, Ph.D., is Director of the Office for Policy and Communications of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) and a Senior Scholar at Child Trends. As Director of the SRCD Office for Policy and Communications, Dr. Zaslow facilitates the dissemination of research to decision- makers and the broader public through Congressional and Executive branch briefings, research briefs, and press releases focusing on research in Child Development¸ SRCD’s primary peer reviewed journal. She also monitors and keeps the SRCD membership apprised of social policy and science policy developments related to children and families. She works with the SRCD Policy Fellows who have placements in the Executive Branch or Congress. As a Senior Scholar at Child Trends, Dr. Zaslow conducts research focusing on the development of young children and programs and policies to support their development. Dr. Zaslow serves on the Secretary’s Advisory Committee for Head Start Research and Evaluation, on the Planning Committee for Head Start’s 11th Research Conference, and on the Advisory Council for the Child Care and Early Education Research Connections website. She recently served on the Committee on Developmental Outcomes and Assessments of Young Children of the National Academies of Science.
Bridging Research and Policy
The bridge between research and policy goes in two directions: (1) assuring that important research actually reaches policymakers, and does so in formats that are accessible but accurate; and (2) making sure that researchers are aware of important policy developments and parameters so that they can formulate research around questions that are of high priority to policymakers. This pre-conference workshop will provide a context for discussion of both directions on this bidirectional bridge. The anchor point for discussion will be a set of examples illustrating both the use of evidence in recent policy, and ways in which researchers can stay apprised of policy developments in their area of interest. We will also discuss important challenges. While examples will be taken from the facilitator’s work in early childhood policy research, participants will be asked to share their experiences in other areas, or their goals as they begin to consider bridging research and policy.
Updated January 25, 2012
