Making Community Engaged Research Yours

Effective community engaged research requires more than good intentions. It needs a framework that connects values, practices, and outcomes in ways leaders can plan around, resource, and evaluate.

This three-layer framework provides that structure. It supports both the initiation and sustainability of engaged research across institutions and communities.

The Foundation Layer is the ground on which engaged research stands: the values, commitments, and guiding principles. It makes clear what must not be compromised and helps administrators, faculty, and funders align strategy with local priorities from the start.

The Integration Layer holds everything together: the infrastructure that links people, methods, and resources. Like a transit system, it reveals where connections are strong, where bottlenecks occur, and where new pathways are needed. Strategic plans that account for this layer ensure that engagement practices move efficiently across units, organizations, and communities.

The Leverage Layer is the architecture of influence: the visible structures where decisions are shaped, authority is exercised, and outcomes are recognized. This layer helps leaders and partners see where to direct investments, how to distribute power more equitably, and how to make impacts visible to wider audiences.

A Note on the Use of Metaphor

This framework uses architectural and urban metaphors to make abstract analyses more tangible. These metaphors do not replace the technical analyses but provide accessible imagery for understanding how community engaged research is grounded, connected, and structured.

Seen together, these three layers create a system view of community engaged research. They provide a way to map current capacity, identify gaps, and set priorities. For universities, this framework sharpens institutional strategy. For community partners, it clarifies how values and commitments become outcomes. For funders, it shows where investments can create the greatest leverage for change.