Taylor Scott

Taylor Bishop Scott is an Assistant Research Professor in the Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center and the Co-Director of the Research-to-Policy Collaboration (RPC). She obtained a doctorate in community psychology from the Health Psychology Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research interests include broad-based promotion of well-being and success among at-risk children via community-based programs and public policy. Her research aims to understand ways to support policymakers’ use of research evidence.  

Since 2015, Dr. Scott has worked to develop and evaluate the Research-to-Policy Collaboration, a replicable model that aims to support policymakers’ use of research by preparing and mobilizing researchers’ response to current policy priorities and opportunities. She guides RPC implementation activities that aim to facilitate researcher-legislative partnerships around child and family policy issues. She also investigates: (1) the impact of interactions between researchers and policymakers and (2) ways to improve science communication and its impact. These two interests correspond with the theory that improving research use involves multi-modal, integrated strategies that both increase the reach and visibility of scientific information as well as the co-interpretation of research implications in partnership with decision-makers. Dr. Scott also provides mentorship and policy training for a national team of postdoctoral scholars and research fellows.

Current Projects

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  Testing Research Strategies and Impact among Policymakers to Reduce Inequalities Precipitated by COVID-19

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  Testing Science Communication Strategies and Impact among Policymakers During a National Crisis

Lawmakers' use of scientific evidence can be improved

Crowley, D. M., Scott, J. T., Long, E. C., Green, L., Israel, A., Supplee, L., Jordan, E., Oliver, K., Guillot-Wright, S., Gay, B., Storace, R., Torres-Mackie, N., Murphy, Y., Donnay, S., Reardanz, J., Smith, R., McGuire, K., Baker, E., Antonopoulos, A., McCauley, M. & Giray, C. (2021). Lawmakers’ use of scientific evidence can be improved. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(9), e2012955118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2012955118

Translating prevention research for evidence-based policymaking: Results from the Research-to-Policy Collaboration pilot

Crowley, D. M., Scott, T., & Fishbein, D. (2017). Translating prevention research for evidence-based policymaking: Results from the Research-to-Policy Collaboration pilot. Prevention Science, 19(2), 260–270. PMCID: PMC5803346

Bringing rigor to the use of evidence in policymaking: Translating early evidence

Crowley, D. M., & Scott, T. (2017). Bringing rigor to the use of evidence in policymaking:  Translating early evidence. Public Administration Review, 77(5), 650–655. https://doi.org/10.1111.puar.12830