Dear Colleagues:
In my role as Faculty Liaison to the EVCP on Public Scholarship and Engagement, and in grateful and active partnership with the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Vice Provost for the Faculty, and Assistant Vice Chancellor for Research Administration & Compliance, we are writing to share good news about advances that UC Berkeley is making to:
- recognize the “social” or “public” impact of our scholarship; and
- smooth the campus systems friction points that many of us may encounter when we conduct researchin partnership with entities outside of Berkeley (e.g., community-based organizations, government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), industry).
Many of us were drawn to UC Berkeley and stay here because we believe in our public mission, and invest much intellect, energy, and time to advance the impact of our scholarship. Depending on our discipline, our research designed for scholarly and social, policy, and/or practice impact may have different names, e.g., “engaged” “community-engaged,” “policy-focused,” “public impact research. Or no particular name; it’s just what you do. See this draft glossary of terms for more.
Below is an overview of innovations, resources to spread the word, and time-sensitive invitations to help ensure that future efforts are responsive to the needs of faculty across campus. Our goal is to inform changes that “lift all boats,” while being mindful that partnerships and pain points may differ.
#1. Faculty evaluation: Berkeley is the first UC and one of the first US research universities to have campus-wide guidelines for crediting of community-engaged scholarship. This tip sheet gives more context. Other UCs (e.g., UCLA, UCSC, UCD) are now proposing similar guidelines.
#2. Human Subjects/Institutional Review Board (IRB) navigation: We are working with the Office for the Protection of Human Subjects (OPHS) to gather investigator feedback, and will be launching a time-limited data-gathering effort to hear from investigators who face gray areas, challenges, or delays when conducting “community-engaged” human subjects research that doesn’t fit the mold of traditional investigator-driven protocols. To inform on issues and supports needed, or for advice on a new or existing protocol with a community partner, please contact OPHS at ophs@berkeley.edu with CES in the subject line, to set up a short consult.
#3. Visibility and community-building: The VC Research Office is leading an effort for faculty who engage in partnered research to (voluntarily) connect and identify themselves to enable (a) input on research administration friction points and streamlining, (b) matchmaking for large-scale interdisciplinary grant opportunities, and (c) strengthen visibility and cross-learning within and outside Berkeley. See UCD Public Scholarship and Engagement portal as one model.
Get involved: Please complete this brief four-item formif you would like to sign up to be included in future communications, and potentially give input as part of our Berkeley’s public impact scholarship community.
Learn more: Want to learn more and join a “synchronous” conversation? Come to a Faculty Link Forum zoom panel on “Empirical Work for the Public Good: Strategies for community-engaged research” featuring Lisa García Bedolla (Education), Emily Ozer (Public Health), Charisma Acey (City & Regional Planning) and Arthur Middleton (Environmental Science, Policy, & Management).Thursday March 23, 10:30-11:30am.Registration and more information here.
Thank you for your interest,
Emily Ozer
Professor, Division of Community Health Sciences
UC-Berkeley School of Public Health
Faculty Liaison to the EVCP on Public Scholarship and Engagement
Benjamin E. Hermalin
Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost
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