Actionable and engaged science to conserve biodiversity

Conservation science must be actionable to address urgent biodiversity conservation challenges, yet academic structures often fail to incentivize this focus. In this synthesis, we draw on findings from two studies based on interviews with 71 conservation scientists, offering insights into the production of actionable science and the role of academia in supporting impactful research.
The first study identified 16 key activities that enhance the actionability of conservation research, grouped into three categories: motivations, strategies, and tactics (Carr Kelman et al., 2023). These activities are correlated into five distinct profiles: disclosers, educators, networkers, collaborators, and pluralists. They represent increasing levels of engagement and complexity in producing actionable science. These profiles suggest a pathway for scientists to contribute more effectively to conservation goals by aligning their research with knowledge users.
The second study critically examines the academic environment's role in promoting actionable science and suggests procedural reforms to enhance the societal impact of conservation research (Lhoest et al., 2024). Despite growing calls for engaged scholarship, institutional barriers persist, preventing many researchers from prioritizing real-world conservation outcomes. We propose a framework in which universities actively support boundary-spanning work, reward contributions to practical conservation efforts, and adopt metrics that recognize societal impacts beyond traditional academic outputs. Implementing these recommendations would help academia attract talented conservation scientists, secure funding, and drive meaningful conservation progress.
These studies emphasize the importance of fostering individual and institutional commitment to actionable and engaged research to address global biodiversity challenges.
Bibliography
Carr Kelman, C., Barton, C.J., Whitman, K., Lhoest, S., Anderson, D.M. & Gerber, L.R. (2023). Five approaches to producing actionable science in conservation. Conservation Biology, 37, e14039.
Lhoest, S., Carr Kelman, C., Barton, C.J., Beaudette, J.A. & Gerber, L.R. (2024). The impact factor of engaged research: Metrics for conservation outcomes. Biological Conservation, 292, 110534.