Understanding the process of socioenvironmental policy co-production - measuring societal impact

• Grant number: 25/08289-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: June 30, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Applied Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Jean Paul Walter Metzger
• Grantee: Júlia Rodrigues Barreto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos Avançados (IEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/06694-8 - BIOTA SYNTHESIS - Nucleus of Analysis and Synthesis of Nature-Based Solutions, AP.BTA.NPOP

Abstract

Bridging science and policy design is essential for developing effective environmental governance strategies to reverse the current global scenario of rapid biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation. New ways of doing science have been proposed to promote this connection through structured communication between scientists and non-scientists. This dialogue enables the co-production of socially relevant knowledge applicable to environmental policymaking.The central goal of this postdoctoral project is to understand the factors that foster knowledge co-production at the science-policy interface and to assess the impact of this process on the formulation of policy instruments and its potential to drive societal change. The categorization and evaluation of the processes that connect scientific knowledge to the design and implementation of policies in the state of São Paulo will be conducted through cycles of meetings with different project stakeholders and qualitative and quantitative analysis of reports.Impact assessment will be based on indicators of knowledge dissemination and the influence of technical-scientific outputs on policy documents (e.g., Altmetrics, PlumX, and Overton). The methodological development of these indicators will benefit from a broad database of publications generated by synthesis groups funded by the five Synthesis Centers in Germany, France, the UK, and the USA, some of which the Biota Síntese team has closely collaborated with.This analysis is expected not only to clarify the pathways of the co-production process but also to identify the key factors that influence the success of this innovative approach to knowledge production. As a result of this systematic reflection, the postdoctoral research will define criteria and success indicators that can be used within Biota Síntese and in other initiatives operating at the science-policy interface.