New Communities, New Relationships: Reflections from Junior Faculty Engaging in Community-Based Research

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Community-level approaches to interpersonal violence research are growing.
• Graduate program pedagogy often lags in community-based research training.
• New faculty often relocate, requiring them to build new community partnerships.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the experiences of junior faculty establishing community-based research in new communities.
• To identify challenges and strategies for building and maintaining community partnerships for interpersonal violence research.

Main Methods:

• Three tenure-track assistant professors shared personal narratives of establishing community research collaborations.
• Narratives focused on challenges and successes in partnering with organizations addressing interpersonal violence.
• Six overarching themes were identified from compiled narratives.

Main Results:

• Key themes included establishing connections, research buy-in, overcoming distrust, maintaining partnerships, conducting collaborative research, and balancing demands.
• Strategies and lessons learned were identified for each theme.
• Junior faculty face significant hurdles in building trust and navigating academic-community dynamics.

Conclusions:

• New faculty require targeted mentorship, training, and resources for community-based research.
• Institutional changes are needed to better support and reward community-engaged scholarship.
• Effective community partnerships are vital for impactful interpersonal violence research.