Evidence-Based Health Communication in Practice: Driving Funding, Research, and Training Through the University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Communication

ABSTRACT

Academic centers play a vital role in advancing knowledge, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration. The University of Texas at Austin Center for Health Communication was established in 2014 with the mission to improve public health through evidence-based communication research and practice. In this article, we reflect on the center history, explain our practice-oriented funding structure, and showcase examples of public health campaigns informed by theory and data, as well as professional-oriented educational programs. We also discuss the academic and community impact of our research, education, and practice and the benefits and challenges associated with this practice-led funding model. Although there are other approaches to operating academic centers, we hope the lessons we have learned can be of help to other centers dedicated to health communication research and practice.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to recognize all of the faculty, staff, and students who have been associated with and contributed to the CHC since its founding.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.