Environmental Health Science and Engineering for Policy, Programming, and Practice

At the interface of environmental health science and engineering with policy, programming, and practice, multiple actors and social processes support communication and decisions. Understanding this interface would help accelerate public health improvements and the effectiveness of interventions, especially in managing the contextual factors that lead to disparities in service provision, resource use, and health. Misconceptions about the uptake of evidence in decision-making often limit fault to the overly technical nature of research findings or the competing and frequently shifting priorities of policy makers. The most effective means to enhance the flow of evidence, however, is regular, structured, and inclusive two-way communication, where knowledge brokers (individuals or institutions) link scientists, engineers, practitioners, policy makers, and the public. Good practices for enhancing science application should be recognized and tailored for environmental health science and engineering. We recommend that (1) science application and interprofessional engagement be incorporated into higher education, (2) funding mechanisms ensure stakeholder engagement beyond the project cycle, (3) evidence synthesis be collectively supported, (4) common rigor and study quality measures be adopted for diverse study types, and (5) research into effective science brokering practices and outcomes be encouraged.