The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs is proud to announce that Assistant Professor Ellen Kohl was recently awarded a three-year grant through the National Science Foundation to study Children’s Environmental Health Science and Science-Based Regulatory Policy. Collaborating with Professor Marianne Sullivan at William Paterson University, Professor Kohl will assess the development and practice of the field of Children’s Environmental Health using the frameworks of vulnerability and justice. They will draw on a literature review of academic journal articles, grey literature, and media coverage as well as semi-structured interviews with key players and participant observation to understand how the interactions between scientists, advocates, and policy makers negotiate the translation of scientific knowledge into policies. They will pay particular attention to the role of federally funded Children’s Environmental Health Centers, to determine the relationships between communities, science, and policy. With the assistance of St. Mary’s College undergraduate learners, Professors Kohl and Sullivan hope to co-develop a publicly available database that tracks the social and scientific develop of Children’s Environmental Health. The results of this research will further theoretical understandings of the interactions between science, regulations and advocacy as well as the role of vulnerability, equity, and justice in scientific discovery and the translation of science into policy. Finally, Professors Kohl and Sullivan intend to engage Children’s Environmental Health scientists, advocates, and policy makers to share lessons learned.
For additional information or for assistance with identifying, securing, and managing externally funded research, contact the ORSP office.