Community Based Research Projects/Courses

Posted by on January 15, 2007

Funding Available for Innovative CBR Courses/Projects

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Request for Proposals: Community-Based Research Innovation Grants

Princeton University and the Bonner Foundation are pleased to announce their receipt of a Learn & Serve America grant awarded by the Corporation for National & Community Service to build a National Community-Based Research (CBR) Networking Initiative. The initiative supports the expansion of high-quality community-based research as a form of service-learning that involves students, faculty, and community members in community-driven research projects. In addition to (a) awarding subgrants to partner colleges and universities, funds will be used to(b) develop networking structures such as a website (<a href="http://www.cbrnet.org">http://www.cbrnet.org</a>) and moderated listserv on CBR; (c) create evaluation, dissemination, and documentation tools; and (d) provide training, information, and other technical assistance.

Funds are currently available on a competitive basis for innovative community-based research (CBR) courses and projects. Awards will be between $2,500 ? $7,500 per year for one to three years. These grants will be awarded to higher education institutions in the United States doing innovative CBR work that can serve as models for best practices.

Examples of innovative work could include, but are not limited to:

? Linking CBR to ongoing direct service partnerships, especially in programs that serve disadvantaged youth (e.g., evaluating the effectiveness of an after-school tutoring program involving students in an America Reads Program);
? Connecting community-based research to the policy and information needs of nonprofit organizations and citizens;
? Developing campus partnerships with youth civic engagement groups that involve youth as researchers supported by college students;
? Establishing summer CBR internships that enable students to provide full-time CBR assistance to a community partner;
? Creating stipended CBR internships during the school year that leverage Federal Work-Study and part-time AmeriCorps student funding;
? Organizing multi-site CBR projects that link campus and community partners in different geographical locations (e.g., a study of college prep programs for low-income youth in three rural communities).

CRITERIA

All projects must:
? Involve collaboration between the U.S. university and one or more community organizations in the project design and plan for use of the research;
? Clearly state how the project reflects an innovative approach to CBR;
? Result in replication guidelines to facilitate adoption of successful models,
? Have a realistic workflow, timeframe, and budget; and
? Include a 50% match requirement (e.g., a $5,000 award would require a $2,500 match from the institution).

PROPOSAL STRUCTURE:
Please send a project outline of no more than 5 pages including:

1. A brief overview of the community-based research program at your institution, including history, infrastructure, and current initiatives/programs.
2. A description of the community-based research project, including descriptions of participating community partners, covering both process and outcomes, and addressing the criteria above, for each year of requested funding (up to three years).
3. A short description of how the project represents innovation in the field of community-based research.
4. A short description of tools, trainings, and other resources the project is anticipated to generate and share with other CBR centers.
5. The names and contact information for faculty who will be involved in the project.
6. The names and contact information for community representatives who will help guide this initiative and any other non-profit partners who will play active roles.
7. An explanation of how grant funds will support this project.
8. A budget that includes grant and matching funds for each year of funding requested.

All grant recipients must agree to abide by the regulations of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which can be found at <a href="http://www.learnandserve.gov/pdf/highered_prov_06.pdf">http://www.learnandserve.gov/pdf/highered_prov_06.pdf</a>.

Proposals must be submitted by February 1, 2007. If you are uncertain that your project fits the criteria, we encourage you to send a letter or e-mail outlining your project for feedback. Please submit letters of inquiry and final proposals to Lauren Davis at ld2@princeton.edu.

For more information on the National Community-Based Research Networking Initiative, see <a href="http://www.cbrnet.org">http://www.cbrnet.org</a>. For all program-related inquiries, please write to Lauren Davis at ld2@princeton.edu.