Community engaged research focus of 2024 Collaboratory
About 100 KU Span Institute staff, investigators and students gathered Jan. 11 for the 2024 Collaboratory at Maceli’s.
Presentations explored community engagement and the impact of research.
Director John Colombo updated attendees with information about the institute’s productivity, which increased to $41.4 million in fiscal year 2023. The figure marks the institute’s second-best year, historically, and is an increase of 7% ($2.8M) over fiscal year 2022. He noted that the Life Span Institute’s return on investment rate is for every $1 received, the institute produces $15.76.
Investigators and community partners shared their experiences with community-engaged research. Through a series of inquires led by facilitator Christina Holt, the group discussed the characteristics of community-engaged research across the lifetime of a research study, barriers to effective community engagement, and ideas for addressing those challenges. Researchers on the panel were Kathy Bigelow, Dale Walker, Shea Tanis, and Dola Williams. They were joined by Lisa London, director of Project Eagle at the Children’s Campus of Kansas City, and Marvia Jones, director of KCMO Health Department.
The panelists stressed that individuals should think of themselves as community engaged researchers, rather than engaging with a community only during the three to five-year grant cycle. Researchers need to build relationships over time.
“Out of that relationship comes knowledge that informs our work,” Bigelow said.
The event also provided time for researchers to talk with each other, learn about services, and to hear from Belinda Sturm, interim vice chancellor for research.
Sturm’s talk focused on communicating and increasing research impact, particularly through finding ways to build bridges to audiences that are unfamiliar with research, and by telling stories such as a researcher’s reasons for going into their field.
The next Collaboratory will be held on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025.