Enhancing translation capacities of COVID-19 researchers through interdisciplinary collaboration: empathy, awareness, and action

PURPOSE: Integrating societal considerations into public health research, particularly during crises, can foster public trust, support inclusive policy-making, and enhance technology development. Interdisciplinary collaboration may enhance researchers' capacities to reflect on the societal impacts of scientific advancements as they occur. METHODS: This qualitative Socio-Technical Integration Research (STIR) study investigated these claims among four early-career researchers in virology, physics, and engineering, working in a large-scale COVID-19 research project across Germany. The collaboration involved 12 weeks of protocol-based dialogue exercises, pre- and post-study interviews, and participant observation, and was analyzed using the "Midstream modulation" framework. RESULTS: We found that the exercises documented, and in some cases stimulated, changes in participants' awareness, attitudes, and behaviours regarding their research's broader social context. One participant grew more aware of their work's social impact over time, recognizing stakeholders beyond the laboratory. Another shifted attitudes toward science communication, while a third demonstrated greater empathy for public reactions to scientific advice. DISCUSSION: These enhanced capacities for reflexivity suggests potential of STIR for improved communication among scientists, the public, and policymakers, strengthening the science-society interface in COVID-19 and broader health research. Such collaborations can build public trust, inform interventions, and improve the translation of basic research into effective health policies.