Services
We offer the following free services to community-based organizations and other nonprofits:
Facilitating research-community partnerships
Connecting researchers with local communities and community-based organizations (CBOs) to ensure that scientific studies address real-world needs and that communities can get the information they need in order to make evidence-based decisions to meet acute and chronic needs, especially in times of crisis.
Through the Child Thrive Coalition we are helping to establish productive and equitable collaborations between several academic researchers and the five different CBOs that form the core of the coalition. Our focus is on assessing the local research capacity of the CBO and their research needs (which can range from analysis of existing data to the design and implementation of projects to collect vital baseline community data) and ensuring that the collaborations and actions meet the needs of the CBO. Read more
Capacity building workshops
Conducting training sessions for community leaders and organizations on interpreting, applying and conducting scientific research in their work.
In collaboration with Partners in Health / Zanmi Lasante, we ran research training programs for physicians in Haiti, focusing on developing the skills needed to ensure local research capacity and the ability to be able to collect vital baseline community data. Read more
Science communication and education
Developing accessible materials, such as lay summaries and educational resources to disseminate scientific findings to non-expert communities and community-based organizations. Additionally, disseminating critical learning and guidance from researcher and community member perspectives on best practices for community-engaged research.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, and through our collaborative initiative Pandemic-Aid Networks, we ran regular education sessions with a range of community-based organizations around the world, answering questions and providing analyses and guidance on the emergency situation and latest scientific research. We also regularly communicated about our work and others’ through published articles, commentaries, blogs and podcasts (such as recently on the ‘On Research’ podcast by the CITI program, to talk about community engagement in research). In any of the research that we produce in house, we also ensure that the articles are freely available and accessible to the general public and relevant community members, such as through lay summaries, audio summaries, and other accessibility tools.
Assessment of science integration in community programs
Assessing the impact of, and facilitating the integration of scientific research into community programs and policies to inform future initiatives. Assessment of the current phase of scientific research integration as it pertains to community groups’ goals and missions.
Through our collaboration with Children’s Place International, we are assisting in the analysis of existing programmatic data so that this information can be used to refine the methodology and impact of their community-based programs.
