Community Engaged Research

Research and community go hand in hand

We’re committed to facilitating and conducting research that addresses pressing community issues. And we believe the best way to do that is to partner with people and communities.

In order to do so, we use the community-engaged research framework, a participatory approach to research and evaluation that includes those affected by the issue. Guiding principles of social justice, mutuality, and reciprocity are practiced through dialogue, co-learning, and long-term commitments to participation.

Community-engaged research practices are equity-driven and intentionally change-oriented. This means acknowledging issues of power and the critical importance of cultural humility throughout any research project.

To continue the momentum for community-engaged research, we partnered with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research as well as schools across campus and created the Community Engaged Research Group or CERG.

Learn more about CERG

For the purposes of IRB at IU, community-engaged research is defined as research that "includes the meaningful involvement of community partners in the research process, including but not limited to topic development, need identification, research design, conduct of research, and/or sharing of results."

ENGAGE! Co-created Knowledge Serving the City

ENGAGE! is IU Indianapolis' first journal dedicated to community-engaged and community-based participatory research. IU Indianapolis is recognized locally, nationally, and internationally as an urban-serving research and health sciences university.

Community-engaged research (CER) in city settings is focused on the processes and results of inquiry-focused relationships between community partners and representatives of the university.

Learn more about ENGAGE!

How does community-engaged research benefit everyone?

Using the community-engaged research model strengthens the overall project and positively influences both the researchers and the subjects.

Community-engaged research:

  • Improves the design and delivery of the project
  • Improves the way findings are implemented to bring about change
  • Creates opportunities to improve the consent process and identify and resolve ethical pitfalls
  • Enhances the amount of public involvement and contribution
  • Increases academic partners’ understanding of the issue and appreciation of the value of community involvement
  • Improves the way studies are carried out, making it easier for community members to participate and benefit
  • Enhances community organizations’ knowledge and public profile, and helps them to create new partnerships with other organizations
  • Makes it possible for the general public to reap greater benefits from it

Tell us about your work

We want to hear about your research

In order to enhance our site and tell the story of how IU Indianapolis is engaged with the community in research, we need more examples of what you are doing.

Click here to tell us about your project.

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