On March 12, the Directorate of Scientific and Technological Research (Dicyt) of the University of Santiago de Chile held the talk “Mobilizing knowledge for impact on public policy,” an event that featured the presentation and dissemination of the Proyecto Vincula innitiative to the academic community, a collaborative platform that seeks to connect researchers and researchers with legislators to develop public policies based on scientific evidence.
During the talk, the importance of strengthening ties between the academic world and decision makers was discussed, highlighting the role of Proyecto Vincula as a bridge for scientific knowledge to have a real and timely impact on society.
During her presentation, Dr. Francisca Reyes, academic at the Institute for Sustainable Development of the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile (PUC) and director of the project, explained the origin and purpose of Vincula, highlighting that the initiative arises as a response to the lack of connection between the knowledge generated in the academy and its impact on public decision-making. She also stressed that the project seeks not only to facilitate researchers’ access to relevant legislative information, but also to promote interaction with parliamentarians and advisors, generating instances of direct dialogue.
“Vincula offers them the possibility of informing the legislative process with their knowledge in a timely, safe and efficient manner. And this is very important because, in general, as academics who are at the university all day long concerned with developing our research, we are not constantly looking at what Congress is doing. So, Vincula offers the opportunity for timely research into bills that can benefit directly from the knowledge that you produce,” she explained.
In her presentation, the UC academic also addressed the main barriers and facilitators that affect the access and use of knowledge in the legislative field, highlighting the lack of effective mechanisms for decision makers to incorporate science in their work. She also raised the challenges and opportunities faced by universities and the country to enhance the impact of research in policymaking, emphasizing the key role of Usach in this process.
Dr. Rodrigo Vidal, an academic from the Usach, presented a concrete case in which, through Vincula, he was able to identify a parliamentary initiative related to the regulation of genomically edited organisms and establish contact with legislative advisors. Thanks to this interaction, the academic is currently in conversations for the generation of a Genomically Edited Organisms and Species Labeling Legislation. He also gave advice to the attendees on how to make the best use of the platform.
Regarding the importance of this activity, the Vice Rector for Research, Innovation, and Creation, Dr. Alberto Monsalve, highlighted the fundamental role of Vincula within the university’s strategy to strengthen the impact of knowledge in society, commenting that “I am strongly impressed with the power of the Vincula project regarding all academics and researchers and parliamentarians who have to give their opinions and judgments on laws that are often complex for them because they do not have the expertise they need to be able to legislate on certain matters.
In addition, he called on the Usach community to be part of the Vincula project, emphasizing that the university has the necessary tools to be a protagonist in this platform. “The invitation is to participate in the Vincula platform and reassure the support of the Vice-Rector’s Office to researchers to be part of an initiative. This project will undoubtedly be a great contribution not only for the researchers’ careers, but above all, it will be a contribution to the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and, of course, to the future of our country,” he added.
The event culminated with a practical demonstration by Rodrigo Orellana, head of Vriic's Data and Statistics Unit, who guided the participants in the use of the Vincula platform, showing them how to register, create a profile, and search for legislative initiatives to connect with decision-makers.
How to participate in Vincula
Registration is simple: just go to www.vincula.cl, or directly to app.vincula.cl and register using your institutional email address. Once registered, you will be able to edit and complete your profile with information relevant to public policy.
With an active profile, researchers can explore bills, follow initiatives of their interest, and contribute their knowledge to the legislative process using the tools provided by the platform.