Developing a systematic method of taking basic research in the social and behavioral sciences and translating it into real-world practices will ultimately improve the lives of Americans. That was the take-home message from the Second Biennial Urie Bronfenbrenner Conference, held last month on campus.

"More rapid and effective research translation is a major goal of the National Institutes of Health Roadmap and other federal research initiatives," said Elaine Wethington, associate professor of human development and co-director of the Cornell Institute for Translational Research on Aging, which co-organized the event, "Improving the State of Americans: Prospects of Translational Research in the Social and Behavioral Sciences."

"Bringing experts on translational research to Cornell and facilitating deep and lively discussion across social science, health and policy disciplines may encourage social scientists on campus to form multidisciplinary teams to address important social issues in new and creative ways," Wethington said.

The conference, co-organized by Rachel Dunifon, associate professor of policy analysis and management, drew 18 scholars from universities and government agencies across the nation. It covered such topics as the best way to define and foster translational research among the social sciences and examples of translational research in the field.

Kathleen Ziol-Guest, assistant director of the Institute for Children and Poverty in New York City, for example, presented her work that shows how using proven methods to make sure that children receive child support payments would improve the child support system across the country.

David Almeida, a human development professor at Pennsylvania State University, recommended that researchers partner with companies to develop such research-based interventions as supervisor training to reduce work-family stress in lower-income families.

Charles Brainerd and Valerie Reyna, both Cornell professors of human development, advocated using behavioral research to improve the accounts of eyewitnesses in criminal cases. They presented numerous examples of how research on eyewitness testimony has been successfully translated for use in the judicial system.

The conference used the Scandinavian Model -- papers at the conference were presented by someone other than their authors. The American Psychological Association will publish a book based on the papers presented at the conference.

The conference was supported by the Bronfenbrenner Life Course Center, the Institute for the Social Sciences, the Family Life Development Center, the Cornell Population Program and the College of Human Ecology's outreach and extension.

Sheri Hall is assistant director of communications at the College of Human Ecology.