Co-production of knowledge, methods, and tools is an effective approach for addressing complex issues at the intersection of the environment and society. It is a research process that actively engages practitioners and community members as research partners, bringing together relevant human populations, researchers, and stakeholders to gain deeper insights into the causes and solutions of multifaceted problems, including societal impacts of environmental change. By engaging diverse perspectives and local expertise throughout the research process, co-production can lead to more relevant and accurate scientific research and effective policy. However, there is a limited understanding of key considerations, design principles, and best practices for co-production across individual projects and programs. Additionally, scaling local information to appropriate decision-making levels and transferring or adapting proven practices in different contexts can be challenging.
To address these challenges, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will convene an ad hoc committee to conduct a study on co-production approaches to knowledge-building and decision-making in environmental change contexts to optimize societal benefits. The study will make findings and recommendations based on information gathered about the challenges, needs, and opportunities associated with co-production of environmental knowledge between scientists and local and Indigenous experts, especially at local and regional scales where fine-grained peer-reviewed scientific knowledge may be absent or limited.
The study will be carried out by a committee of approximately 12 volunteer experts in the fields of:
- Climate and the Environment (e.g., water, soil, plants, animals and their uses and management)
- Human-Environment Interactions
- Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Belief Systems
- Interactions Between Science and Society
- Collaborative Research Processes
- Legal Protocols and Ethics
The National Academies are committed to enhancing diversity and inclusion in order to strengthen the quality of our work. Diverse perspectives contribute to finding innovative approaches and solutions to challenging issues. We encourage the nomination of volunteers who reflect the populations we serve and also welcome in particular nominations of candidates from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, women, and early- and mid-career professionals.We invite you to submit nominations for committee members and/or reviewers for this study by February 24, 2023.
Contact information:
Name: Sitara Rahiab
Email: srahiab@nas.edu
Phone: 202-334-2269