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This activity was supported by contracts between the National Academy of Sciences and the Bezos Family Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Award #80HQTR24FA071), the National Institutes of Health (Award # HHSN263201800029I/75N98023P03171/002103), National Science Foundation (Award #2331516), The Pew Charitable Trusts (Award #37087), the Spencer Foundation (Award #202400101), and the William T. Grant Foundation (Award #ODF-204477). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or agency that provided support for the project.

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Suggested citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Building Institutional Capacity for Engaged Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/28337.

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PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR WORKSHOP ON BUILDING INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY FOR ENGAGED RESEARCH

SUSAN D. RENOE (Chair), Associate Vice Chancellor, University of Missouri

ELYSE L. AURBACH, Director for Public Engagement and Research Impacts, University of Michigan

TIMOTHY K. EATMAN, Inaugural Dean of the Honors Living-Learning Community, Rutgers University–Newark

ELSA FALKENBURGER, Director of the Community Engagement Resource Center, Urban Institute

MAHMUD FAROOQUE, Associate Director of the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes, Arizona State University

KIMBERLY L. JONES, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, College of Engineering and Architecture, Howard University

EMILY J. OZER, Professor and Faculty Liaison to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost for Public Scholarship and Engagement, University of California, Berkeley

BYRON P. WHITE, Associate Provost for Urban Research and Community Engagement, University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Staff

HOLLY G. RHODES, Project Director

SAMUEL CRAWFORD, Research Associate

BRITTANI SHORTER, Senior Program Assistant

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Board Director

BOARD ON SCIENCE EDUCATION

SUSAN R. SINGER (Chair), President, St. Olaf College

SUE ALLEN, Maine Mathematics and Science Alliance

MEGAN BANG, Professor of Learning Sciences, Northwestern University

VICKI L. CHANDLER, Provost, Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute

KIRSTEN ELLENBOGEN, President and CEO, Great Lakes Science Center

MAYA M. GARCIA, Chief Program Officer, Beyond100K

DAVID GOLDSTON, Director, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Washington Office

G. PETER LEPAGE, Andrew H. and James S. Tisch Distinguished University Professor of Physics, Emeritus, Cornell University

WILLIAM PENUEL, School of Education, University of Colorado Boulder

STEPHEN L. PRUITT, President, Southern Regional Education Board

K. RENAE PULLEN, K–6 Science Curriculum Instructional Specialist, Caddo Parish Schools, Shreveport, Louisiana

K. ANN RENNINGER, Dorwin P. Cartwright Professor in Social Theory and Social Action, Swarthmore College

FRANCISCO RODRIGUEZ, Chancellor, Los Angeles Community College District

MARCY H. TOWNS, Bodner-Honig Professor of Chemistry, Purdue University

DARRYL N. WILLIAMS, Senior Vice President, Science and Education, The Franklin Institute

Staff

HEIDI SCHWEINGRUBER, Director

AMY STEPHENS, Associate Director

KERRY BRENNER, Senior Program Officer

SAMUEL CRAWFORD, Research Associate

KENNE DIBNER, Senior Program Officer

JANET GAO, Program Officer

LETICIA GARCILAZO GREEN, Research Associate

MARGARET KELLY, Program Coordinator

LUCY OLIVEROS, Senior Program Assistant

HOLLY G. RHODES, Senior Program Officer

LAUREN RYAN, Senior Program Assistant

BRITTANI SHORTER, Senior Program Assistant

TIFFANY E. TAYLOR, Program Officer

LACHELLE THOMPSON, Senior Program Assistant

AUDREY WEBB, Program Officer

Reviewers

This Proceedings of a Workshop was reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (National Academies) in making each published proceedings as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets the institutional standards for quality, objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.

We thank the following individuals for their review of this proceedings:

EMILY JANKE, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

CHHAYA KOLAVALLI, Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation

LAURIE VAN EGEREN, Michigan State University

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the content of the proceedings nor did they see the final draft before its release. The review of this proceedings was overseen by STEPHEN LINDER, Institute for Health Policy, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health. He was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this proceedings was carried out in accordance with standards of the National Academies and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content rests entirely with the rapporteur and the National Academies.

Acknowledgments

We wish to express our gratitude to the members of the planning committee for their expertise and the time that they volunteered to create a full and engaging agenda. We are grateful for the dedication, good humor, and creativity that they brought to developing activities that tapped the collective wisdom of everyone at the workshop. We also want to thank each of the speakers and panelists for their insights and contributions to the rich discussions at the workshop, and for their own work toward advancing engaged research. Thanks also to the participants at this workshop not only for attending and enriching the discussions but also for their collective efforts as individuals and leaders to build capacity for engaged research.

Finally, we wish to thank the sponsors who provided the support to make this event possible: the Bezos Family Foundation, The Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, and the William T. Grant Foundation. We want to give special thanks to Angela Bednarek and Benjamin Olneck-Brown of The Pew Charitable Trusts for their help as boundary spanners of multiple networks and efforts for this workshop.

Susan D. Renoe, Chair
Planning Committee on Building
Institutional Capacity for Engaged Research

Holly G. Rhodes, Senior Program Officer
Board on Science Education

Contents

Acronyms

1 Introduction

OPENING REMARKS

ORGANIZATION OF THIS PROCEEDINGS

2 The Importance of Engaged Research

CROSSING THE DIVIDE: LEARNING FROM A DISCONNECTED NEIGHBORHOOD

COMMUNITY-BASED PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH FOR HEALTH

BUILDING A WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM FOR BOSTON’S YOUTH

DISCUSSION

Evolution of Research Questions

Overcoming Barriers and Challenges

3 Challenges and Solutions: Synthesizing Two Landscape Reviews

TENSIONS AND ACTION POINTS: A “MODEL OF SCALE”

Reform Faculty Evaluations

Establish Intervention Points for External Funders and Build an Evidence Base

LIMITATIONS OF SCANS

4 Promising Approaches for Addressing Key Tensions in Community-Engaged Research

ADDRESSING TENSIONS RELATED TO VALUES, TRADITIONS, AND PRIORITIES

Morehouse School of Medicine: An Institutional Commitment to Community Engagement

University of California, Davis: A Systems View of Change to Foster a Culture of Engagement

Brown University: A New Cabinet-Level Position to Advance Community Engagement Across the Institution

Discussion

ADDRESSING TENSIONS RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE

Engage for Equity PLUS Model

University of Pittsburgh: A Place-Based Approach to Engagement

Three Concepts for Infrastructure Change: Challenging Norms, Organizing, and Operationalizing

Addressing Pain Points

Competencies and Capacity for Researchers

Capacity Building for Communities

Communication and Knowledge Exchange

COMMON THEMES AND GAPS

Understanding Existing Structures

Financial Barriers, Funding, and Risk

Using Data and Shared Language

Reflective Practices and Global Perspectives

Leveraging Cooperative Extension Systems

Focus on Generating Solutions: Ideas from Workshop Participants

5 Aligning Mission and Incentives: Valuing and Prioritizing Engaged Research

QUALITIES OF AN EXCELLENT INSTITUTION

Prioritizing Community Involvement

Innovative Promotion and Tenure Processes

Agility, Adaptability, and Responsiveness

LESSONS FROM THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH MODELS FOR FUNDING COMMUNITIES DIRECTLY

CHANGING EVALUATION: LEVERAGING DISCRETIONARY MOMENTS

BUILDING CAPACITY FOR INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

THE ROLE OF PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION REQUIREMENTS IN ENCOURAGING ENGAGED RESEARCH

Carnegie Elective Classification

The Role of the Association of American Universities in Promoting Engaged Research

INVESTMENTS FOR SUSTAINABLE ENGAGED RESEARCH

DISCUSSION

Time Constraints

Improving Measurement of Engaged Research

Sustainability

The Role of Legislation

INSIGHTS FROM KEY LEADERS

6 Valuing Diverse Forms of Expertise

SHIFTING DYNAMICS OF EXPERTISE IN RESEARCH-PRACTICE PARTNERSHIPS

CENTERING COMMUNITY EXPERTISE IN RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS

VALUING EXPERTISE AT SCALE

BUILDING COMMUNITY CAPACITY FOR AGENCY

DISCUSSION

Challenges in Co-Design and Funding

Entry Points for Engaged Research

Revolutionizing Scholar Training

Measuring Success by Community Impact

Evolving Ethical Standards for Community-Engaged Research

Addressing Skepticism

7 Aligning Core Values and Measurements

ENGAGING COMMUNITIES AND CO-DEVELOPING A MEASURE OF TRUST AND TRUSTWORTHINESS

Characteristics of Successful Engagement

Project ENTRUST

PARTICIPANTS’ IDEAS FOR MEASURES

8 Next Steps for Action

DISCUSSION

Modeling Civic Engagement in Education

Redesigned Funding Models

Redesigned Institutional Structures and Epistemic Justice

NEXT STEPS FOR INCREASING COORDINATION AND CAPACITY BUILDING

Building Scholarship and Equipping Individuals and Partners

Organizational and Culture Change

Artifacts, Metrics, and Incentives

Funding for Research and Sustainability

Appendix A Workshop Agenda

Appendix B Biosketches of Planning Committee Members and Speakers

Appendix C Participants’ Ideas for Metrics of Engaged Research

Acronyms