Community-Engaged Participatory Research (CEPAR) @ Tufts

Overview

Community-Engaged Participatory Research (CEPAR) @ Tufts is a coalition of Tufts researchers that advocate for inclusive, participatory, and collaborative community research. We believe that CEPAR fosters equity, inclusion and justice in research processes while also promoting more relevant, impactful, and scientifically rigorous scholarship.

What is Community-Engaged Participatory Research?

Building on decades of scholarship on Participatory Action Research (PAR), Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), and similar research approaches, CEPAR advocates for:

• The participation and leadership of diverse community members across the research process, including the development of questions and methods, the collection and analysis of data, and the dissemination of findings;
• The co-creation of knowledge between Tufts-based researchers and community members;
• Collaborative action-oriented activities that advance the needs and interests of the research population;
• Supporting Tufts University to be a better research partner in these efforts.

History

Since 2021, a working group composed of Tufts researchers and community partners has met regularly to learn about each other’s work and advance CEPAR at Tufts. With leadership from the Tisch College Community Research Center (TCRC) and several Tufts researchers, our group has created a welcoming community for a variety of scholars who use participatory approaches in research.

Outcomes include two internal papers with recommendations for promoting CEPAR at Tufts (including one in development), and a list of recommendations for SBER IRB at Tufts. Subcommittees focus on:

• IRB and ethics
• Funding and finance
• Community partnerships
• Support for CEPAR scholars on campus

Our Current Goals

• Support participatory research and scholars at Tufts by decreasing bureaucratic barriers and increasing university support
• Expand training and opportunities for participatory research among Tufts researchers (faculty, students, and others)
• Promote more collaborative and ethical relationships between vulnerable communities and Tufts’ faculty, students, and other researchers

Support

We have received funding and administrative support from Tisch College Community Research Center (TCRC), Tufts Springboard, Tisch College of Civic Life, Eliot Pearson Dept of Child Study and Human Development, and the Department of Sociology. We are also grateful to many supportive leaders at Tufts, including Ayanna Thomas, Augusta Rohrbach, Dayna Cunningham, and Taína McField.

Contacts

For more information, email:

• Elaine Donnelly, Director of the Tisch College Community Research Center (TCRC)
• Anjuli Fahlberg, Associate Professor of Sociology