MISSION
The Society for Prevention Research is an international, multi-disciplinary organization dedicated to advancing scientific investigation about how to prevent negative outcomes and foster well-being for individuals, families, and communities. We also seek to ensure this knowledge promotes a healthy and equitable society through the use of research-informed and socially just programs, practices, and policies.
VISION
To be a diverse and inclusive community that leads the promotion of a healthy and equitable society through prevention science.
VALUES
- Collaboration: partnerships with youth, families, practitioners, policy makers, public and private sectors, communities, schools, and other social institutions in the US and internationally.
- Community: our organization as a “home” for prevention science researchers, practitioners, and policy makers and a nexus for collective action.
- Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: diversity among our members and partners in terms of their identities, abilities, career stages, and academic disciplines and approaches. We are committed to fostering equity among these groups.
- Integrity: using transparent, fair, and ethical practices in our research, advocacy, and organization.
- Respect: the dignity, worth, and agency of all individuals.
- Science and Practice: the use of rigorous scientific, practice-based, contextual, and experiential evidence.
- Social Justice: efforts to undo the negative impact of systems of oppression and inequity.
STRATEGIC PLAN: GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, 2024 - 2028
Goal 1: Promote Health Equity in Prevention Science
- Promote etiological and intervention research addressing health equity.
- Promote the equitable inclusion of diverse groups in etiological and intervention research, in terms of role (funder, researcher, practitioners), race/ethnicity, international work, and methodological expertise (quantitative and qualitative).
- Promote research to develop multilevel and multi-sectorial interventions that address the micro-, meso-, and macro-level social determinants of disparities and structural oppressions and develop principles for their implementation.
Goal 2: Translate Prevention Science for Use in Diverse Settings
- Update and expand the Standards of Evidence (Gottfredson et al., 2015) to consider community-developed interventions and more diverse forms of evidence (qualitative, contextual/experiential evidence, practice-based evidence, etc.) and research.
- Promote approaches to and training for co-designing and co-adapting interventions for underserved populations, including strategies to ground preventive interventions according to community-based participatory research approaches, Dissemination and Implementation Science frameworks, and principles of social justice and equity.
- Identify strategies and/or guidelines for taking a collaborative approach to making program adaptation decisions with emphasis on underserved populations.
Goal 3: Advocate for Prevention Science
- Strengthen current and create new partnerships with other prevention and equity-focused professional and advocacy organizations.
- Enhance members’ ability to communicate messages about prevention science, including the importance of health equity in prevention science to the public, other scientists, legislators, and policymakers.
- Advocate for increased funding for prevention science and services.
- Advocate for evidence-based and evidence-informed policies and discontinuation of harmful policies that are not guided by evidence.
Goal 4: Increase Member Support, Engagement, and Diversity Within SPR
- Expand outreach to increase membership diversity (e.g., Minority-Serving Institutions, practice groups).
- Enhance SPR mentorship initiatives for students and new professionals, especially those from underrepresented populations, and include training in health equity.
- Promote professional connections between SPR members beyond annual conference participation.
- Develop leadership of mid-career prevention scientists and their use of equity and social justice principles.