The Center for Social & Behavioral Science (CSBS), together with the College of Education and Interdisciplinary Health Sciences Institute (IHSI), launched the Community-Engaged Research Series in 2023 to provide community-engaged researchers at Illinois with the skills and resources needed to advance their research and effectively address common challenges.
In its first year, the series brought together UIUC researchers, practitioners, and community partners over 6 events to facilitate collaboration, share knowledge, and create a network for discussing best practices in community-engaged research. Attendees were able to connect, learn from each other’s experiences, and work towards common goals, enhancing the impact and effectiveness of their work.
The discussions this series yielded ranged from the practical to the theoretical and covered topics such as working with the IRB and addressing inequity in community-engaged research. We are excited to continue supporting community-engaged researchers on campus.
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Event Recaps and Materials
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To kick off the series, community-engaged researchers from across campus were invited to participate in a networking lunch at the Siebel Center for Design. More than 50 attendees joined various discussion tables to identify common goals and challenges in community-engaged research and learn from each other’s experiences.
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11/9/2023 – Community-Engaged Research Funding with Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
During this event, Senior Program Officer Courtney Clyatt provided an overview of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and discussed the range of community-engaged work funded through PCORI, and AHS Prof. Robyn Gobin discussed her experience working with PCORI. Attendees gained an understanding of funding opportunities for their community-engaged research projects through grants from PCORI.
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This event aimed to share best practices while recognizing the perspectives of both community-engaged researchers and priorities of the IRB in this work. It featured Sarah Mumford, Director at the Office of Protection for Research Subjects (OPRS), and Kevin Tan, Professor and Associate Dean for Engagement, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Social Work, and attracted more than 100 community-engaged researchers in 50 units and 10 colleges and schools across campus.
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Open to community-engaged researchers and writers of all levels, this event attracted 35 attendees from 20 units and 7 colleges across campus. During the workshop, Diane Doberneck, Ph.D., of Michigan State University discussed the key elements of community-engaged publishing, writing with community partners, unfurling a project into multiple publishing pieces, and strategizing on where to publish this work. Attendees had the opportunity to learn practical next steps for moving their scholarship forward.
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The goal of this event was to help community-engaged researchers incorporate principles of equity-minded practices in their work. More than 80 researchers from over 50 units and 10 colleges and schools across campus attended. Ross Wantland, Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, and Karen Simms, Trauma & Resilience Initiative, explored how inequalities and inequity can emerge in community-engaged research and the responsibility of researchers to address it. Key elements from the discussion included understanding equity in research, promising practices for addressing power inequity in research, applications for community-engaged research, and resources for work in this space.
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To wrap up the 2023-2024 series, community-engaged researchers networked over coffee and doughnuts during the final series event on May 10. Another series is planned for the 2024-25 academic year to explore additional topics around community-engaged research.