Pew Report Spotlights University-Community Partnerships

Can universities, foundations and funding agencies, local governments and nonprofits work together to mainstream research and evaluation while improving program operations?

Yes, states a recent report issued by the Pew Partnership for Civic Change. The report, University & Community Research Partnerships: A New Approach, is based on two years of research and a roundtable discussion convened by the Pew Partnership, a civic research organization. Six key findings emerged from Pew's efforts:

• College and university faculty members reap multiple and unexpected benefits from engaging in community-based research.
• Faculty engagement leads to greater university-community collaboration at the institutional level.
• Increasing the accessibility of colleges and universities to community practitioners is an essential factor in building successful partnerships.
• There is a demonstrated need for new networks to connect people working in the field of university-community research.
• Building research relationships with faculty members yields multiple benefits for nonprofits and governments. And,
• Supporting collaborative research relationships between community agencies and university faculty has clear benefits for funders.

The Pew Partnership suggests several ways to build more effective partnerships between universities and communities. To further such partnerships, the report recommends promoting connections between faculty and community practitioners, providing incentives or rewards for collaboration, and spotlighting successful partnerships.

University & Community Research Partnerships: A New Approach is available at: http://www.pew-partnership.org/home/home.html