As NARST moves toward its 100th year, we find ourselves at a generative inflection point that invites us to reflect not only on what we have built as a community, but also on how we define, recognize, and sustain meaningful research moving forward. In this spirit, we introduce ELEVATE: an initiative designed to expand and enrich how research is understood, assessed, and supported across our field.

ELEVATE emerges from a shared recognition among members that traditional, metric-driven approaches to research assessment, while useful in some contexts, are insufficient for capturing the full range of contributions that shape science education research today. Impact factors, citation counts, and grant dollars tell only part of the story. They often overlook the relational, contextual, creative, and justice-oriented dimensions of our work: the community partnerships built over time, the methodological innovations that challenge dominant paradigms, the public-facing scholarship that informs policy and practice, and the diverse ways knowledge is created, mobilized, and lived.

ELEVATE is both an initiative and an invitation—an opportunity to collectively reimagine how we define and assess quality and impact of science education research. As we approach NARST’s centennial, this work positions us not only to reflect on our legacy, but to actively shape an inclusive, responsive, and forward-looking future for our field.

Jennifer D. Adams, President
 

ELEVATE Working Group

Carla Zembal-Saul, NSTA Liaison 
Heba El- Deghaidy, Board Liaison, Elections Committee
Maria Varelas, President Elect 
Shari Watkins, Board Liaison, Awards Committee
Shiang-Yao Liu, Board Liaison, Professional Learning and Institutes Committee