Measuring the impact of community-university research partnerships
This brief paper provides background for an impact study of community-university research alliances and partnerships that address social/health issues. Researchers from five community- university partnerships joined together to develop a reliable and valid survey measure of the community impacts of research partnerships between universities and community agencies that address social or health issues. The focus was to be on mid-term impacts—the influence of partnerships on individuals, partner agencies, and target communities or systems. The aim of the three-year project is to benefit members of research partnerships who wish to evaluate their effectiveness and adjust their activities to meet community needs. The instrument also will allow community stakeholders and advisory boards to capture the success of their collaborative research initiatives.
