WASHINGTON D.C. — The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and Penn State’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) will co-host the final Evidence Forum of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Year of Evidence for Action on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the White House.

The forum will explore the state of research and the use of scientific evidence in government settings, with a particular focus on addressing issues of equity across the evidence ecosystem — the global web of those who generate, mobilize and use scientific evidence.

Guided discussion will include implementation within various stakeholder settings, potential barriers and challenges to success, contextual considerations for broadening the tent with an equity-oriented lens, and future goals and directions in the area. The following in-person session will convene members of the community to highlight successes that can guide the development of best practices as well as galvanize enthusiasm to take these efforts into the future and motivate a “road map” to make that future a reality.

Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi will be in attendance and will deliver remarks on the contributions from higher education and opportunities for the future.

“Penn State as an institution is driven both by our commitment to advancing knowledge through research and scholarship, and by our land-grant mission to create a positive impact in our local communities, in our nation and in our world — which is why it is so important to work with our partners across the public and private sectors to translate research findings into action,” Bendapudi said. “This event is a wonderful opportunity to focus attention on the importance of research as an engine for global good, and to highlight the work of our Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative in connecting researchers and policymakers to maximize the impact of our scholarship.”

Other confirmed speakers include Lauren Supplee, deputy assistant secretary for Planning, Research and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Jamila Michener, co-director of the Cornell University Center for Health Equity; industry leader, author and pediatrician Laura Jana; Philip Gaskin, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; Matt Soldner, commissioner of the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance at the U.S. Department of Education; and Jennifer Thornhill Verma, executive lead at the Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges.

This forum will be an opportunity to reflect on the Year of Evidence for Action and celebrate the contributions and efforts from across the country and around the world.

“This is the culmination of an incredible year of work by the evidence community. We are looking forward to envisioning the future of evidence work needed in our pursuit to build a flourishing society,” said EIC Director Max Crowley, who will moderate the event.

The EIC is a research center and core resource for the science of scientific impact — aiming to improve the relevance, value and use of research evidence to increase societal well-being. The EIC leverages expertise in administrative data, program design and evaluation, and researcher-policymaker relationships to optimize public and private investments. The EIC is a unit of Penn State’s Social Science Research Institute supported by the College of Health and Human Development.

Register online to join the public Evidence Forum from 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Feb. 22.