The Research Translation Core (RTC) seeks to translate UK-SRP research to such target audiences as local, state, and national government regulators and policymakers; physicians and allied health care professionals; industry representatives; concerned citizens, both within and outside of Superfund communities; and other researchers. In addition, project personnel are working to improve existing communication models among these very diverse stakeholder groups and to develop new models that further dialogue and shared understanding related to environmental health and risk issues.

The RTC's specific aims are:

1. to communicate important research outcomes to appropriate audiences to ensure the accurate and timely use of data generated by individual research projects;
2. to develop and implement mechanisms for receiving feedback from designated target audiences to ensure the utility and appropriateness of selected communication tools; and
3. to ensure that research results are being appropriately applied to immediate environmental and health issues through the use of partnerships and other communication tools.

The Research Translation Core strives to ensure that knowledge and technologies generated through the UK-SRP help to reduce both levels of environmental contamination and the related negative public health impacts of such contamination. The RTC attempts to assist SRP researchers with informing key audiences about potential real-world uses for research outcomes, while helping graduate students and postdoctoral scholars develop communication skills that will support the bench-to-bedside translation of future research outcomes. Translational channels include communication training programs for SRP personnel and an RTC seminar series that brings the latest developments in environmental health sciences to audiences at both the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection in Frankfort and the University of Kentucky.

The RTC leverages partnerships with a number of organizations to improve the understanding of environmental health issues across the Commonwealth. Among the key partners helping address SRP concerns are the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection Division of Waste Management, the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service, the Kentucky Water Resources Research Institute, the national network of SRP Research Translation Cores, and the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and the Environment (KRCEE).

Through its partnership with the KRCEE, the UK-SRP Research Translation Core has brought together experts from Community-Based Participatory Communication and Structured Public Involvement to develop an innovative approach for community engagement in determining the future of Superfund sites. The KRCEE team has been charged by Kentucky's Congressional delegation and the United States Department of Energy with integrating public, regulatory, and technical community visions to produce a publicly approved Future State Vision Report for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant (PGDP) National Priority List Superfund site. The methodology being implemented includes personal interviews, focus groups, and large community meetings, with individuals from disparate stakeholder groups engaged at each stage. The data gathered during the interview and focus group stages is informing the creation of sample scenario visualizations that will be discussed and scored during the community meeting stage. Ultimately, the project will result in a PGDP Future State Vision Document that, while not decisional, will be available to inform future US Department of Energy decisions related to the disposition of the PGDP after decommissioning. In addition, CAsewise Visual Evaluation (CAVE) technology will utilize community preferences for sampled scenarios to predict preferences for additional, non-sampled model scenarios. More detail about this exciting project can be found on the KRCEE website.

Paducah, KY citizens discuss the future of a
nearby NPL Superfund Site

The RTC's close relationship with the Kentucky Research Consortium for Energy and the Environment (KRCEE) also allows it to provide a translational conduit to ongoing monitoring and remediation activities at the PGDP Superfund site.

The RTC has developed a brochure that provides an overview of the UK-SRP program. Research Translation members have presented multiple posters at NIEHS Annual SRP Meetings in New York, NY, Pacific Grove, CA, San Diego, CA, and Raleigh, NC, as well as at other conferences and meetings across the country.