Community Engaged Research Academy at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth: Reflections, Visions, and Plans

Abstract

The Community Engaged Research (CER) Academy at UMass Dartmouth began in 2015 to develop and support dynamic research efforts, in partnerships with community organizations, agencies, and public services, with the goal of seeking external funding to support substantial CER projects. Its primary aim is to engage research-active faculty who are working, specifically, with community partners in the UMass Dartmouth catchment area. Further, the CER Academy actively seeks to build a community of like-minded scholars in interactive, supportive, and didactic processes. The coordinator of the CER Initiative facilitates modules, with activities designed to mentor CER Academy scholars during and after their participation in the structured curriculum of the CER Academy. Beyond the interactive curriculum with a cohort of CER Scholars, ongoing mentorship continues for as long as CER Scholars want/need support to develop durable community partnerships. Plans going forward include 1) working with community-based professionals in UMass Dartmouth catchment area agencies and organizations to participate in the structured CER Academy with their respective CER Scholars; and 2) to incentivize and recruit, and then to educate and engage, undergraduate students to develop skills and experience in community engaged research in an academic CER Student-Scholar Partnership Program. This poster articulates the development, curriculum, work, and plans of the UMass Dartmouth Community Engaged Research Academy, to disseminate our experience and vision, and to invite collaborations with potential community partners and CER colleagues across the UMass System.