The conference is intended to connect researchers, lawmakers, and state officials so they can discuss policy-relevant research and address the state\u2019s need for research pertaining to policy. It is also an opportunity for researchers, academics, and policymakers to build relationships before the session begins.<\/p>\n \u201cAll too often, academics don\u2019t know how to reach legislators, and it can be difficult, and it can be intimidating. I can\u2019t think of any other state that\u2019s in its third year of opening its legislative session with an entire day dedicated to evidence, conversation, and keeping the conversation going. This event brings people to the people\u2019s house, and it connects researchers, policymakers and citizens who want to do better,\u201d said Raissian.<\/p>\n The conference has grown significantly since it was first held in January 2024. Attendance at the first conference was strong with more than 150 registrants. However, this year boasted more than 250, with additional attendees registering on-site the day of the conference.<\/p>\n This year\u2019s conference also featured a bipartisan and bicameral host committee, made up of both Democratic and Republican lawmakers. In addition to Foster, the conference was hosted by state representatives Dominique Johnson; Laurie Sweet; Bill Pizzuto; and state senators Jeff Gordon; Saud Anwar; and Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox.<\/p>\n It also featured presenters from beyond Connecticut, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way in a very short period of time,\u201d said Foster, a Democrat whose 57th District encompasses East Windsor, Ellington, and part of Vernon. \u201cWhat if Connecticut became known as a hub for truly evidence-based policymaking? We are now three Moving Beyond conferences later and we are more than triple the size of our first conference. There is more rigor and volume in the academic applications that have come in, and we are now bipartisan and bicameral.\u201d<\/p>\n This year, UConn faculty gave 10 presentations to committees of the General Assembly. Presentations spanned the topics of energy grid resilience, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, hydrogen refueling stations on Connecticut highways, emotion regulation for children, access to birth control and contraceptives, data systems for waste-to-energy policy, disaster vulnerability, climate resilience, genomic newborn screening, and the cost of disinvestment in public health.<\/p>\n In total, 22 presentations were selected through a competitive review process to be given to 10 standing committees of the General Assembly. Researchers could also submit standalone policy briefs to the conference.<\/p>\n \u201cThis conference only works if both groups find value. What we\u2019re doing here is helping people identify the correct policy lever to pull in the exact right moment to make the exact right change that will make people\u2019s lives in Connecticut better. My hope is that this room today is filled with hundreds of conversations that will do exactly that. Conversations that will lead to thoughtful evidence-based policy and improve the lives of people across the state of Connecticut,\u201d said Foster.<\/p>\n![\"Kerri](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Image_OC-MBI-25-2026-01-15-0035-300x200.jpg\")
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