Colleagues may not be aware of the existence of SDRN This is a Defra and DfT-funded initiative which seeks to facilitate evidence-based sustainable development policy.
The Network offers policy-makers opportunities to access the sustainable development research community, through its organisation of seminars and workshops and through the fortnightly SDRN Mailing. In addition, through the commissioning of rapid research and evidence reviews, SDRN provides accessible, policy-relevant reviews of interdisciplinary research areas.
The specific objectives of the network are to:
- Facilitate the provision of research and evidence to policy-makers
- Engage government policy-makers, scientists and members of the research community
- Promote sustainable development in the research and academic communities
- Work with funding bodies to encourage relevant research
- Advise the Defra Sustainable Development Unit on SD research issues
SDRN undertakes a wide variety of activities to promote the use of sustainable development research within policy-making. In particular, the Network:
- Undertakes Research and Evidence Reviews, intended to function as a clearly structured, rapid, and cost-effective way of facilitating links and improving the transfer of evidence between researchers and policy-makers.
- Organises a rolling series of seminars and/or workshops, as part of the Research into Practice workstream, which aims to reach out beyond policy and research to practitioners and thereby facilitate the implementation of sustainable development.
- Organises an Annual Sustainable Development Research Conference, due to take place on 9th December this year, at the Wellcome Collection Conference Centre, London.
- Produces the SDRN mailing, a fortnightly e-newsletter for all members highlighting recent calls, events, research, publications or online resources or relevance to the sustainable development community.
The network currently has over 2300 members. Membership is free and open to all those with a professional interest in UK SD Research and policy. Details of SDRN events, reviews and mailings are available online: http://www.sd-research.org.uk/