Community Engagement and Partnerships

Faculty in this signature area foster authentic community partnerships to advance research that optimizes health and well-being across the lifespan. Their work is grounded in an inclusive approach that builds trust to create and sustain authentic relationships with communities.

This research emphasizes collaboration with communities to co‑create solutions that improve health outcomes. Through this process, researchers amplify community voices, strengthen academic–community partnerships, and develop sustainable approaches to intergenerational health promotion. The goal of community engagement is to make health research more useful and impactful to those affected  by health conditions and to ensure that the benefits of nursing research are inclusive and shared bidirectionally. Representative areas of inquiry include:

• Developing and evaluating engagement strategies that build trust and strengthen partnerships between researchers and communities;
• Advancing recruitment science and research methodology to ensure diverse and representative participation in research;
• Applying participatory approaches in designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions or research to ensure relevance, effectiveness, and equitable impact;
• Partnering with communities to explore social and structural determinants that influence health outcomes;
• Innovating systems and practices to optimize healthspan and well-being through collaborative research;
• Creating research environments that reflect needs and values of individuals, families, and communities.

Explore faculty profiles to learn more about specific research interests and studies in this area.