Drs. Deanna Hoelscher and Steven Kelder based at the University of Texas (UTexas) School of Public Health Austin Regional Campus will receive the 2010 Translating Research to Policy Award from Active Living Research (ALR) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This is the third year of the award, which recognizes outstanding examples of innovators in research, policy or advocacy who have achieved success in catalyzing policy or environmental change in communities across the nation.

They were selected for this award for the substantial impact of the Coordinated Approach To Child Health (CATCH) program across the state of Texas and the role they played as researchers in the development and implementation of Texas Senate Bill (SB) 19. The CATCH program is designed to promote physical activity, healthy food choices, and prevent tobacco use in school-aged children. 

Passed in 2001, Texas Senate Bill 19 requires elementary school children to participate in 30 minutes of physical activity daily. In addition, the bill required the state to recommend comprehensive coordinated health programs and for schools to adopt and receive implementation training in these "approved" programs by 2007.

The bill's requirements were unfunded and no monitoring or accountability mechanisms were created. Drs. Hoelscher and Kelder completed a study analyzing the effects of the legislation and looked at levels of compliance in elementary schools. They concluded passing school health policy legislation is not enough. Continued refinements, monitoring and accountability measures, as well as supportive communitywide health efforts, are necessary to achieve the legislation's goals.

The 2010 award includes a $1,000 cash prize and an opportunity to present the experience of translating research into policy at the Active Living Research annual conference.