Defra Policy Placement Secondment (NERC Remit: Environmental Science)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Brighton
Department Name: Sch of Environment and Technology
Abstract
The purpose of this Policy Placement is to facilitate Knowledge-Exchange (KE), defined by NERC as 'a two-way exchange of skilled people, knowledge and expertise between the scientific community and those who use science.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Gary Bilotta (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Turley M
(2014)
Evaluation of a fine sediment biomonitoring tool across a wide range of temperate rivers and streams
in Freshwater Biology
Bilotta G
(2014)
Quality assessment tools for evidence from environmental science
in Environmental Evidence
Bilotta G
(2014)
On the use of systematic reviews to inform environmental policies
in Environmental Science & Policy
Turley M
(2015)
Developing an improved biomonitoring tool for fine sediment: Combining expert knowledge and empirical data
in Ecological Indicators
Bilotta G
(2015)
How to increase the potential policy impact of environmental science research
in Environmental Sciences Europe
Haddaway NR
(2016)
Systematic reviews: Separating fact from fiction.
in Environment international
Whaley P
(2016)
Implementing systematic review techniques in chemical risk assessment: Challenges, opportunities and recommendations.
in Environment international
| Description | The overarching aim of this secondment was to drive improvements in the scientific evidence base and its use. This secondment provided a unique opportunity to work with Defra colleagues to independently examine and challenge Defra's organisational processes. This led me to make several priority recommendations - all of which have been published in peer-reviewed publications and presented at workshops and stakeholder events involving colleagues from Defra and senior scientists from its network organisations. The first of these recommendations was aimed at improving the process of evidence synthesis used to inform policies. I wrote a peer-reviewed publication (Bilotta et al., 2014a), co-authored by Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA- Professor Ian Boyd) and Dr Alice Milner, on the potential use of systematic reviews (SRs) to inform environmental policies. In this article we (1) summarised the process of conducting SRs, using best practice methods from the healthcare field (2) explained the rationale behind each stage of conducting a SR, and (3) examined the prospects and challenges of using SRs to inform environmental policy. We concluded that 'existing SR protocols from healthcare can be, and have been, applied successfully to environmental research but some adaptations could improve the process'. For example, the literature search stage could be expedited by standardising the reporting and indexing of environmental studies, equivalent to that in the healthcare field. The consistency of the study appraisal stage of SRs could be augmented by refining the existing quality assessment tools used in the healthcare field, enhancing their ability to discriminate quality and risk of bias in non-randomised studies. Ultimately, the strength of evidence within SRs on environmental topics could be improved through more widespread use of randomised controlled trials as a research method, owing to their inherently lower risk of bias when conducted according to best practice. The second of these recommendations relates to how evidence is evaluated - addressing one of the issues highlighted in the first article. I wrote a second peer-reviewed publication (Bilotta et al., 2014b), co-authored by Professor Ian Boyd and Dr Alice Milner, about a formal tool that we developed to enable objective, transparent and reproducible assessments of the quality of evidence and levels of confidence in study findings. The third of these recommendations relates to improvements in how evidence is funded, designed and reported. I wrote a peer-reviewed publication (Bilotta et al., 2014c), co-authored by Professor Ian Boyd and Dr Alice Milner, which lays out clear steps to maximise the potential policy-impact of scientific research from the design stage onwards. The publication is intended to provide Defra, and others, with practical guidance on choosing the most powerful study design possible, optimising the directness of the study, selecting a sufficient sample size, minimising bias within a study, proving that statistical analyses meet test assumptions, publishing the research whether statistically-significant or not, and making the study easy to find and use in evidence syntheses and meta-analyses. |
| Exploitation Route | It is anticipated that the recommendations described above will contribute to improvements in the processes used to synthesise and evaluate scientific evidence used by Defra, which ultimately will lead to better informed policies and more transparent processes behind decision-making. Ultimately this will bring greater benefits to society through implementing more effective policies. |
| Sectors | Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | It is anticipated that the recommendations described in my publications arising from this secondment will contribute to improvements in the processes used to synthesise and evaluate scientific evidence used by Defra, which ultimately will lead to better informed policies and more transparent processes behind decision-making. Ultimately this will bring greater benefits to society through implementing more effective policies. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2014 |
| Sector | Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Methods Group at the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence |
| Organisation | Collaboration for Environmental Evidence |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | I have become a member of the Methods Group of the Collaboration for Environmental Evidence. I have published an article in the journal Environmental Evidence which describes a new approach for evaluation of the quality of scientific research, for use when conducting systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses. I will continue to develop this tool and enhance it in light of future feedback on the approach. |
| Collaborator Contribution | I have published an article in the journal Environmental Evidence, co-authored by Prof. Ian Boyd (Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor) and Dr Alice Milner, which describes a new approach for the evaluation of the quality of scientific research, for use when conducting systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses. I will continue to develop this tool and enhance it in light of future feedback on the approach. |
| Impact | I have published an article in the journal Environmental Evidence, co-authored by Prof. Ian Boyd (Defra's Chief Scientific Advisor) and Dr Alice Milner, which describes a new approach for the evaluation of the quality of scientific research, for use when conducting systematic reviews and other evidence syntheses. I will continue to develop this tool and enhance it in light of future feedback on the approach. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Attendance at a formal working group/expert panel: Royal Society of Chemistry workshop on 'Systematic Reviews for Chemical Risk Assessment' in 2016 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was an ongoing formal expert working group who are contributing to developing and implementing systematic review methods in chemical risk assessment. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
| Description | BiomedCentral article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I published an invited article on the BiomedCentral central blog on the importance of quality assessment for environmental evidence. The blog is available at: http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2014/09/03/quality-matters-applying-healthcare-best-practice-to-environmental-policy-making/ |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| URL | http://blogs.biomedcentral.com/bmcblog/2014/09/03/quality-matters-applying-healthcare-best-practice-... |
| Description | Defra Evidence Workshop (June 2014) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | I presented best-practice in evidence synthesis and evaluation to senior colleagues at Defra and its network organisations (Natural England, Environment Agency, Food and Enviroment Research Agency, Forestry Commission, Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science. This was to around 30 senior scientists, policy-makers and practitioners at a 1-day workshop held at Defra HQ in London Nobel House. Defra have since commissioned a systematic review on endocrine disrupting chemicals in the environment. They are also including my recommended evidence quality assessment tool, as a best-practice tool for evidence synthesis within a central Defra resource. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | International Expert Workshop on Systematic Review of Evidence for Chemical Risk 18 November 2014 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | I have been invited to attend and participate in an International Expert Workshop on Systematic Review of Evidence for Chemical Risk, hosted by the Royal Society of Chemistry on the 18th November 2014. This event has not happened yet |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | The health implications of fracking: Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | I participated in a workshop on 'The health implications of fracking' on 15th November 2013, hosted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and attended by scientists, public health professionals, and decision makers. A summary of the event was published in the Lancet: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62700-2/fulltext A summary of the event was published in the Lancet: http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62700-2/fulltext Further research and evidence needs were identified to ensure that policy-makers can make better informed decisions about the risks of shale gas extraction. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| URL | http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(13)62700-2/fulltext |