What works best to teach children in our schools? How does pollution affect public health? Why is economic inequality on the rise? These are just some of the big and important questions researchers try to answer every day. But all too often, their findings don't actually help usher in improvements in the lives of people. Why not? The William T. Grant Foundation's Vivian Tseng shares the history of research use in U.S. education policy, how a new approach to research can improve connections between scholars and policymakers, and what further changes are needed to make research matter.

For more on this topic:

• Read Vivian's blog post about evidence use across sectors and around the globe
• Find her paper with Professor Cynthia Coburn on using evidence in the U.S.
• Check out the William T. Grant Foundation's research grants on improving the use of research evidence