How can research mediators better mediate?: the importance of inward-looking processes

Science can provide empirically-informed strategies and resources to inform and improve policy and practice, though all too often science, policy, and practice operate independently from one another. Research mediators play a critical role by attempting to connect these different worlds. This practice paper presents lessons learned and recommendations for improving the effectiveness of research mediators in bridging the science–practice gap based on the experiences of a Visiting Fellow in a United States federal research agency. To support evidence-informed policy and practice, research mediators must engage in inward-looking processes – they must attend to their own internal science–practice gaps, commit to interdisciplinarity, and institutionalise such work.