One year has passed since the publication of the first Evidence Commission report, which is now available in seven languages and in multiple formats. The Commission sees reasons for optimism, as well as reasons to double-down on efforts to implement the report’s recommendations.

This journal article describes a research project that was developed to generate timely, relevant evidence in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to guide policy, practice and planning in New South Wales.

Each policy or decision a government makes costs money and will impact individuals and communities. This chapter provides the argument for leaping forward with the provision of data to trusted analysts so that we can build a more effective and timely evidence base to inform policy and practice in Australia.

It is intended that this publication will serve to increase the accessibility of valuable evidence and experiences to policy-makers within Australia. The University of Queensland and the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust also hope that it will encourage more partnership approaches toward developing public policy that are informed by broad groups of experts, including Churchill Fellows.

Responding to calls for increased evidence-informed public health and increased impacts from research, the aims of this policy evidence brief are to present the main barriers to research evidence translation and utilisation in public health, and explore strategies that can address these barriers.