The National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) Information

The NPSC advances broad, meaningful positive outcomes for all people in our nation by weaving the best scientific evidence available into public and administrative practices, systems, and policies. The field of prevention science has amassed a significant body of knowledge over the past 40 years that provides a clear path to this outcome. Thoughtfully designed and well-supported systems can be achieved via the implementation, scaling, and sustainability of strategies that have been evaluated and shown to significantly improve the health, development, and well-being of children, families, and communities. The NPSC focuses heavily on applying prevention science to comprehensively ameliorate adverse conditions and structural barriers to opportunity in concentrated disadvantage areas and marginalized populations. Due to the pressing need for the cross-sector embedding of preventive and health promotional strategies into systems and policies, our translational work primarily takes place in Congress and with state legislatures. Activities include: 1) Provides policymakers with evidence, resources, and expertise from the field of prevention science in an accessible format and platform with the goals to enrich their knowledge about the science, inform their decision-making, and translate those insights into actionable steps. 2) Organizes educational events to inform the public, community stakeholders, practitioners, and policymakers about prevention science knowledge, practices, and policies. 3) Advocates for increased federal investments in prevention research to identify the structural drivers of of health disparities and generate evidence-based strategies. 4) Conducts projects to demonstrate the practicality and acceptability of adopting prevention approaches in community-based settings. 5) Assists stakeholders in understanding how preventive interventions are evaluated and determined to be evidence-based for selecting best practices in their communities.