S4S · Science for Society Solutions (S4S): Bringing Translational Science for Drylands Earth and Environmental Sciences into the Mainstream

The larger goal of the S4S project is both ambitious and significant: make science more relevant and responsive to society. Despite significant advances in the drylands Earth and environmental sciences, successful application of research findings remains less than ideal. Whether it’s moving research to practice or educating the public on the environmental challenges of our time, our track record is poor. Successful adaptation to environmental change requires a theoretical and practical understanding of coupled natural-human systems as well as advances in bridging knowledge systems and the science-society gap. To be effective, this means a “translational science” approach that promotes the capture and integration of scientific and local knowledge, addresses the influences of scale (biophysically, socially, institutionally), encourages mutual learning among all parties, and builds capacity as part of the process. The facilitation and translation of information and meanings among stakeholders can lead to the co-production of knowledge, more informed decision making, and in a very pragmatic way, more effective use of assessments and other products of scientific discovery. This will be accomplished by reinforcing European research excellence through knowledge sharing with the view to developing mutually beneficial access to the state-of-the-art approaches for effective science translation, knowledge transfer, stakeholder engagement, decision aiding and the diffusion of innovation. How? mobilize both translational scientists and drylands scientists, identify and compile patterns of success in a wiki, create customizable training modules, demonstrate the added value, and facilitate the diffusion of innovation through multiple communication and knowledge management channels. The intended outcome: empower scientists and practitioners (public & private) to make science more relevant and responsive to society.