Energizing partnerships in research-to-policy projects

On the ground, how can research initiatives unfold to make meaningful contributions to real-world practice and real-time policy? This article draws on a case study evaluating an innovative program to alleviate toxic stress, boost resilience, and promote social inclusion among Syrian refugee and Jordanian nonrefugee youth. I describe the kind of project design and community engagement that animates research on stress biology and lived experiences, connecting people with humanitarian practice and policy. I highlight why and how biocultural work generates fluency in multiple forms of evidence to guide mental health interventions, reflecting on ways to anchor research in shared humanity and shared scientific purpose. I clarify what types of added value, pursued during intersectoral collaborations, help achieve plural, sustained, and inclusive contributions. This article shows how “creative relationality” can energize research-to-policy initiatives to bring about transformational change.

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