Policymakers and Academic Researchers: How Do They Communicate?

Policy makers face challenges in obtaining action oriented research in a timely way that is in a usable format or has been translated into a language that is understandable.  Researchers face challenges in obtaining funding in a timely way that meets their academic schedule, in conducting action oriented research, and in translating the academic language into policy language.  Too often this results in a lack of communication and policies made without the benefit of research knowledge.  This presentation will discuss how UNICRI has found a way to reach the policy makers, and how it lags behind in reaching the academic community.  The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) is one of the seven institutes of the United Nations and the only one with a mandate to conduct research, training, and technical assistance in the full spectrum of crime from prevention to intervention with governmental and non-governmental actors.