Research Partnerships Research Articles

Co-designing a Children’s Cabinet: a school district–university partnership for youth well-being post-pandemic

PurposeThis paper presents a case study of a school district–university partnership to co-design a Children’s Cabinet, a cross-sector initiative bringing together institutional and community leaders to address youth well-being in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a vibrant, immigrant-serving community in the Northeast United States, the partnership was initiated by district leaders in Spring 2021 after pandemic disruptions led to a youth mental health crisis.Design/methodology/approachOur descriptive, qualitative case study focuses on the structure and emerging design principles of the research–practice partnership, which established a Children’s Cabinet comprised of educational, government and community leaders along with researchers. From Spring 2021 through Spring 2024, we collected and analyzed member and youth interviews, ethnographic observations and artifacts from all meetings and process interviews with key partners.FindingsWe describe the structure of the partnership, including how researchers and district leaders collaborated on meeting facilitation and how researchers conducted and shared applied research. We then discuss three design principles that guided the work, including centering relationships, sustaining focus on key goals and embedding applied research.Originality/valueAs embedded research partners, our team is uniquely situated to narrate the nature and structure of the partnership and reflect on the design of our cross-sector initiative. Increasingly, universities are partnering directly with districts on school improvement initiatives. Our work shows how engaging in RPPs to bring together school, community and research partners can facilitate local leadership and collaboration to address complex, cross-sector goals such as increasing youth well-being.

How do communities define “work precarity” and “labour exploitation”? Lessons for research from participatory research in high economic hardship communities in Chicago, Illinois/USA

Abstract Labour migration has both social and economic drivers that channel workers into jobs that are less desirable to citizens of the receiving countries. Immigrant workers find jobs through contacts from their home countries, including temporary staffing companies. These workers tend to co-locate in segregated communities and coalesce in jobs that entail hard work, low wages, and limited social benefits. As such, labour migration adds a dimension to the structural and social determinants of health (SDOH) that can broaden our understanding of health inequities, and that can point us toward policies and practices to enhance the health and wellbeing of migrant workforces. However, to generate evidence, align interventions with workers’ needs and priorities, and move evidence to action, it is crucial to engage communities. This presentation describes a community-university research partnership that co-investigates the relationship between work and health as experienced at the community level in two high-economic-hardship neighbourhoods in Chicago, Illinois/USA. The academic and practice partners co-developed and tested a conceptual model of the interrelations among migration, work and health, conducted an inventory of local employers, and executed a street-level survey of 497 workers in these two communities. The research findings helped enhance existing models of the structural/social determinants of health and of work precarity, thus informing methodological approaches to measure work precarity, labour exploitation, and their health effects. The community-based participatory research further led to several action-research projects that are ongoing. This presentation will describe the development of the community-university research partnership and its work, the subsequent enhancements made to the worker precarity and SDOH models, and preliminary findings of the partnership’s current action-research projects.

Impact of COVID-19 measures on psychosocial outcomes in Austria – a qualitative vignette study

Abstract During the COVID-19 pandemic, Austria implemented frequent and restrictive containment measures. We aimed to explore the perspectives of individuals affected by political and epidemiological decisions in Austria, particularly in Vienna and Lower Austria. A qualitative vignette-based study conducted from July to Oct 2023 utilized two hypothetical future pandemic scenarios to prompt in-depth discussions in semi-structured interviews with Austrian residents about their perspectives, either private or from the fields of healthcare, education, citizen representation, business, research, public health and politics. Interview data was analysed using a thematic analysis approach. To ensure results’ rigor and accuracy, we followed the COREQ guideline and included two citizen research partners. This project is funded by WWTF (Grant ID: LS22071). Preliminary thematic analysis from 28 interviewees (53.6% female) aged 19-77 (mean 53.0 years) shows that the negative effects of school closures was a major concern among participants. Despite diverging points of view on other topics, there was a broad consensus that school closures would have negative consequences, such as unstable educational modalities impairing young people’s individual development, decreasing psychosocial support in their peer groups, leading to long-term educational losses, not only for individuals but also for society as a whole, and having a negative impact on economic growth, social justice and innovation. The participants also described a lack of evidence for the necessity of the frequent school closures during the pandemic as had happened in Austria and suggested a different approach in a future pandemic. Further topics were the deterioration of mental health, incentives instead of mandatory measures, more transparent communication by authorities, agreement between experts and researchers, reducing uncertainties regarding pandemic management, compliance by the general public and democratic social cohesion. Key messages • Addressing the multi-faceted impact of a pandemic requires a comprehensive approach that considers mental health, social justice, communication and social cohesion alongside containment measures. • This work represents a learning from the COVID-19 pandemic. From the conclusions of this study, recommendations can be derived to be better equipped in future pandemics.

Education researchers as negotiators: Leveraging expertise across teachers and scientists to implement authentic data investigations in grade 7–12 classrooms

AbstractIncorporating authentic research skills and practices into K‐12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) instruction is a challenging yet crucial approach for introducing students to authentic science inquiry. While recommendations for emphasizing data literacy and quantitative reasoning in science classroom contexts are well‐established, implementation remains challenging. Over the span of 4 years (2019–2023), a multi‐institution team of teachers, education researchers, and forest scientists established a partnership with the overarching goal of integrating authentic forest research and data into middle and high school classrooms. The education researchers played a critical role in facilitating effective scientist and teacher interactions while addressing classroom implementation challenges. Importantly, the effectiveness and mutual benefits of the research partnership were greatly influenced by specific practices implemented by the education research team, and the assumption of different collaborative roles by all stakeholders involved. In this study, we examine these roles, relationships, and interactions of all stakeholders in the partnership, with “stakeholder” referring to participating teachers, education researchers, and collaborating forest scientists.

Partnering in construction re-visited: gauging progress in industry practice and prospects for advances in academic research

Despite the ubiquity of partnering and alliancing in industry discourse and academic research, questions remain about the extent of transformational change within the sector towards more collaborative working. Revisiting earlier work that highlighted issues, problems and dilemmas of partnering related to definitional ambiguities, conflicting (commercial) orientations and cultural reach and readiness, this paper highlights continuing problems of definition, formalization, translation and performance. Attention is directed towards the lack of external validation and institutionalization, as well as the need for more comparative analysis, situated understanding, awareness of organizational pluralism and recognition of relational dynamics. From this critical review, a framework is presented that embraces the variety and indeterminacy in the many definitions, pathways to collaboration, realizations in practice and evaluative recipes used. Partnering is presented instead as being constituted through complex and interacting bundles of practices that cut across levels of interaction, and which reflect competing (and contested) institutional influences, situated practices, outcomes/effects and performance evaluations. This practice-based approach is more attuned to the diversity and fluidity of the institutional contexts, organizational processes, and project/programme settings wherein partnering is situated and through which it is instantiated, and thus affords new avenues of research into its nature and effects.

Promoting Equitable Research Partnerships in Primatology

Promoting Equitable Research Partnerships in Primatology

Learning from COVID-19: strengthening Australia's research capacity through preparedness and collaboration.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has highlighted that preparedness for and responsiveness to pandemics requires public health platforms and processes which are nimble and evidence-based and a research ecosystem which is rapidly responsive to the evolving needs of society and decision-makers. The national BEAT COVID-19 research consortium was funded in 2020 by the Snow Medical Research Foundation (Snow Medical). Its Expert Advisory Committee met with the consortium post-pandemic to summarise the research undertaken and to consider lessons learned through the research response to COVID-19 in Australia. The panel observed that philanthropy offered an important 'kick-starter' funding mechanism for urgent research, which facilitated leveraging of additional funds. It further agreed that research requirements for strengthening Australia's pandemic preparedness and response include: (1) development of a national health and medical research strategy for pandemic research; (2) long-term investment in pre-established research partnerships and networks; (3) systemic procedural improvements, e.g. in ethics, governance and resource allocation; (4) responsive funding mechanisms including philanthropy; and (5) integration of research outputs into health practice and decision-making, as illustrated in Figure 1.

Dreams, Visions, and Worldmaking: Envisioning Anthropology Through Dreamscapes

What does it mean to envision or dream a world into existence? Dreams and visions are often deeply personal and private experiences, but they also open up social spaces for worldmaking. From Australian Aboriginal “Dreamtime” to the ethnographic dreams of anthropologists and their research partners, many dreams and visions are entangled with the historical and analytical trajectories of anthropology. I set out in this article to stretch further the anthropological imagination about the kinds of dreams and visions that may emerge from any dreamscape. To this end, I show that the anthropology of dreams and visions is built on more than the interpenetration of dreaming and waking life, metaphysical questions, problems of communication and interpretation, active or passive dreaming, the powerful idioms that dreams afford for collective visions, or nightmares and metaphorical dreaming. Myriad dreams and visions also unfold as what I call cosmological visions that shape anthropology and vice versa.

The The Silent Curriculum: Classical Aesthetics as a Catalyst for Emotional and Social Skills in Higher Vocational Education

This study examines the integration of classical aesthetics into the silent curriculum of higher vocational education, emphasizing its potential to significantly enhance emotional and social skills. Incorporating aesthetic principles into education emphasizes the importance of nurturing emotional intelligence, creativity, and cultural awareness in students—skills that go beyond the classroom and are essential for their growth, adaptability, and future careers. It explores theoretical foundations and practical implementations and addresses challenges such as the need for specialized educator training, overcoming institutional resistance, and securing adequate resources. Advocating for empirical research and strategic cultural partnerships, the paper proposes a transformative approach to vocational education, aligning it with contemporary societal and labor market demands, and underscores the vital role of classical aesthetics in enriching vocational training and enhancing student outcomes.

Strategizing Originality for Technology Convergence: An Engineering Management Approach

This study examines how the integration of internal expertise with external research partnerships influences the confluence of technologies. Analyzing a decade’s patents, it clarifies the efficacy of varied knowledge acquisition strategies on innovation. The research quantifies the contribution of such synergies to innovation across technological, industrial, and geographic realms. Methodologically, it employs patent analytics to dissect originality into technology scope, assignee variety, industry diversity, and country-specific innovation trends from 2010 to 2019. Findings reveal a positive link between comprehensive technological and industrial knowledge and enhanced technological convergence. Significantly, it accentuates the role of global collaboration in unifying new technologies and industries. This interdisciplinary approach and in-depth organizational learning understanding are vital for spurring innovation. The results offer pivotal insights for academia and policy formulation in technology governance, advocating for integrated knowledge strategies to drive sector-spanning technology unification. The study provides a blueprint for fostering innovation through inter-sectoral and interdisciplinary exchange.

Development of a Refugee Health Research Agenda in North America.

The lack of a cohesive, stakeholder-informed refugee health research agenda has been a barrier to promoting, funding, and conducting health research with refugee populations in North America. A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals working in refugee health in North America (N = 93) to describe major domains within the field of refugee health research and to develop refugee health research priorities. Open-ended survey questions included: (1) What research topics specific to refugee research would you like to see in an international research agenda? (2) Please describe current and important gaps that you believe exist in refugee research and why? Overarching themes focused on the need for the development of research partnerships with refugee communities that are intentional, effective, and driven by the needs of refugee communities. The survey also identified a need for best practices in creating sustainable, community-based research partnerships (effective models and evidence-based strategies) that translate across 12 domains. The refugee health research priorities for North America described in this manuscript should continue to be modified over time as political, economic, social, and medical contexts change.

Qualitative genomic research with Indigenous peoples: a scoping review of participatory practice

IntroductionIndigenous peoples and perspectives are under-represented within genomic research. Qualitative methods can help redress this under-representation by informing the development of inclusive genomic resources aligned with Indigenous rights and interests....

Give Credit Where It’s Due: The Ethical Imperatives of Authorship Attribution in Collaborative Research

This article proposes practical steps for those new to collaborative research or those seeking to improve the nature of collaborative research partnerships. Questioning academia’s exaltation of publications and authorship as coveted assets, the authors critically analyze the often complex, contentious, and ambiguous environment of collaborative research and negotiating authorship. With respect to academic publishing and ethics of authorship, this article grapples with two critical questions: (1) What factors create ethical dilemmas in authorship in academia? (2) How can academics and researchers better navigate the complexities of collaborative research to sustain ethical authorship practices? A seven-phase process model is proposed to guide the collaborative research process to mitigate ambiguities that reside in the black box. The seven phases encompass problem settings and pre-negotiations, direction setting: action planning, social capital, re-negotiations, equity and inclusivity, implementation- the submission-revision cycle, and reflexivity. This theoretical analysis aims to offer a useful resource to promote enhanced collaborative practices, and the authors take an explicit advocacy and visionary perspective to promote transparency, accountability, and reciprocal trust, to shatter overarching issues such as oppressive, deceitful, and exploitative norms in academic authorship practices.

Innovating Against Odds: A Medical Student's Research Journey in a Resource-Constrained Environment

"You need not know the R in Research to embark on the journey; a strong motivation is enough to set things in motion and let the journey unfold naturally." In this article, I share my journey as a medical student starting research in a Resource-Constrained Environment. I talk about the learning curve, milestones, setbacks, and presenting my research work. I've created a simple guide for fellow students in similar situations to do impactful research. Beyond studies, the shared journey with my research partner formed a lasting bond, showing how teamwork fosters understanding and innovation. I also discuss institutional barriers, especially the toxic research culture not talked about much. I stress the importance of raising awareness about these challenges for medical students and the need for a supportive and ethical research environment. It's crucial to create a space where aspiring researchers can thrive without unethical practices, emphasizing the value of knowledge pursuit over personal ambitions.

Research partnerships as transformational learning experiences

A common partnership between faculty and students in post-secondary education is that of researcher as a primary investigator (PI) and research assistant (RA). In this reflective essay, we examine an unconventional research partnership between Allison, a PI, and Bailey, an RA. Our experiences as PI and RA prompted us to reflect upon our learning partnership. We asked: In what ways might the role of RA be transformative (Mezirow, 1994) in teacher education for both researcher and student when it is approached through partnership? This partnership is unique because of its relational approach, where the PI and the RA collaborated in making decisions about the direction of the RA work. The RA’s perspective offered a different viewpoint on the research focus through which the researcher aimed to gain insights. This approach altered the dynamics of the research partnership, which evolved along the lines of both partners acting as equal contributors and co-learners through the research process. In this paper, we reflect on our consequential learning. Specifically, we focus on the learning that occurred when Bailey self-directed RA work on the topics of radical imagination, restorative justice, and appreciative inquiry, as well as the insights Allison gained through Bailey’s work. We use “I” in our respective sections and “we” and “our” in our collective writing, and we also refer to ourselves in the third person for clarity when needed.

Student Led Observations for Course Improvement (SLOCI)

As universities strive to enhance course delivery and the student experience, typical end-of-semester course evaluations have been demonstrated to provide insufficient and potentially biased detail for course improvement and innovation. The Student Led Observations for Course Improvement (SLOCI) team at The University of Queensland aims to provide high-quality student experience data through a student-led approach. The team comprises current undergraduate university students who have a basic understanding of pedagogical strategies and methods of evaluation, bridging the gap between students and academics. SLOCI utilises a course partnership model to work with academics to identify key research questions that can direct and inform a process of real-time feedback. Since 2018, SLOCI has conducted 48 single-semester course partnerships and nine research partnerships focussed on other aspects of the student experience. The student experience data generated from these collaborations has underpinned improvements resulting in higher student engagement and better learning outcomes.

Building locally anchored implementation science capacity: the case of the adolescent HIV implementation science alliance-supported local iS alliances.

The Fogarty International Center-led Adolescent HIV Implementation Science Alliance (AHISA) supports region-/country-specific implementation science (IS) alliances that build collaborations between research, policy, and program partners that respond to local implementation challenges. AHISA supported the development of seven locally-led IS alliances: five country-specific (i.e., Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia), one in Central and West Africa, and one with youth researchers. This article outlines the aims, activities, and outcomes of local alliances, demonstrating how they enhance sustainable IS activities to address local challenges. We conducted a desk review of each alliance's funding applications, reports, and data from the initial findings of a larger AHISA evaluation. The review analyzes common approaches, highlights their local relevance, and summarizes initial outcomes. The local alliances have a common goal: to expand implementation of successful interventions to improve adolescent HIV. We identified four overarching themes across the local alliances' activities: capacity building, priority setting, stakeholder engagement, and knowledge dissemination. Research capacity building activities include long-term mentorship between junior and senior researchers and short-term training for non-research partners. Setting priorities with members identifies local research needs and streamlines activities. Alliances incorporate substantial engagement between partners, particularly youth, who may serve as leaders and co-create activities. Dissemination shares activities and results broadly. Local IS alliances play a key role in building sustainable IS learning and collaboration platforms, enabling improved uptake of evidence into policy and programs, increased IS research capacity, and shared approaches to addressing implementation challenges.

The Scottish Hepatology Access Research Partnership (SHARP) improving access to liver services throughout Scotland

Background and aims Scotland has the highest rate of deaths from chronic liver disease (CLD) in the UK. Socioeconomic and geographic isolation represent significant challenges to delivery of care. The multidisciplinary Scottish Hepatology Access Research Partnership (SHARP) aimed to identify and break down barriers to diagnosing and treating liver disease in Scotland. Methods SHARP comprised a core Partnership Management Group that developed projects and a Partnership Advisory Group which provided oversight. Results SHARP established workstreams to achieve its aims: Understanding current access to liver services To identify barriers to liver patient care in Scotland we audited liver services and surveyed the experience of patients (n=276); primary care physicians (n=199) and Gastroenterologists/Hepatologists (n=99). Technologies to monitor and diagnose CLD Liver disease is diagnosed and monitored using routine blood testing which disadvantages isolated patients. We plan to develop a point of use test to analyse ALT and AST to enable community-based identification and monitoring of liver disease. Identification of patients at risk of liver disease CLD is often diagnosed late. We propose developing an artificial intelligence tool to predict an individual's risk of an emergent admission to hospital due to CLD. This tool will be validated in a Welsh cohort. Barriers to engagement with care for liver disease Hepatology did-not-attend rates are the highest of any specialty. We propose research to co-design a suite of recommendations to improve engagement with care for CLD patients. We aim to achieve this by interviewing practitioners alongside patients who do and don’t engage with services. Conclusions Through a national survey SHARP has developed an understanding of the issues affecting access to hepatology services in Scotland. SHARP has developed projects that will help address the issues that socioeconomically and geographically isolated patients face when it comes to identifying and treating liver disease.

What happens when tourism is turned off: Exploring the outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions for Indigenous people in Rarotonga, The Cook Islands

The sea, sand, and sun allure of the Cook Islands has seen tourism become the most significant driver of the country's economic development. However, the increasing reliance on the tourism sector since the 1980's has created a mono-economy at the expense of diversification and alternative economic models. The COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the risks and consequences associated with an over- reliance on international tourism as the lockdown measures and international travel restrictions caused the sudden shutdown of international tourism, resulting in serious negative economic consequences for tourism-dependent communities. However, the pandemic also offered an opportunity for small island societies to reflect on pre-existing challenges associated with the tourism industry. Through qualitative semi-structured interviews with Indigenous Cook Islanders in Rarotonga, this study aimed to develop a deeper understanding of how the lived experiences of participants responding to the sudden collapse of tourism may have influenced how Indigenous Cook Islands peoples perceive the role of tourism in supporting the wellbeing of their small island nation. The presented study is the result of a collaborative research partnership between an Indigenous Pacific scholar and non-Indigenous European scholar. While the research adopted a western methodology, the relationships developed between the researchers and participants were guided by the cultural values of reciprocity and respect, which are key principles underpinning Indigenous research in the Pacific. The findings revealed that participants adapted to the adverse impacts of COVID-19 through the revitalization of their traditional socio-economies, the resurgence of customary practices, a strengthened connection to nature, and a renewed sense of community spirit and pride in cultural identity—all of which were perceived to positively impact their spiritual, social, cultural, environmental, physical, and mental wellbeing. By demonstrating the positive adaptive responses of participants, this article aims to emphasize the non-economic dimensions of wellbeing that are critical to supporting the cultural values, social priorities, and the Indigenous ways of life that preceded the development of tourism. These findings can be used to inform and guide international development policy makers and tourism stakeholders who seek to reduce the adverse impacts of tourism on the wellbeing of Indigenous communities in the Pacific.

Collective Capabilities Complete a Neighbourhood

This article argues for the need for attention to agency as well as structure in planning for complete neighbourhoods and communities, drawing upon collective capabilities theory and driven by a community-engaged research approach. While complete communities planning proposes to provide more fulsome social and physical infrastructure to residents in a context of urban growth and change in Canadian cities, contemporary efforts tend to neglect or disdain the agency and empowerment of residents. This logic and rationale for complete communities planning has shifted compared to the origins of neighbourhood planning in Canada, as will be exemplified here drawing upon the case of Vancouver. The application of the theory of collective capabilities in complete communities planning offers a path forward that is not naïve to the challenges posed by participatory planning and that views organizations other than the government as having collective capabilities to plan. We demonstrate the potential of this through the case of our community-engaged research partnership based at the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. The project mobilized spatial and statistical research to document the extent of inequities and needs experienced in South Vancouver neighbourhoods as well as the collective capabilities of residents working through the neighbourhood house hub to provide essential services and do effective neighbourhood planning.