Research4Impact
| Abbreviation | r4i |
|---|---|
| Founders | Adam Seth Levine, Jake Bowers, and Donald Green |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Purpose | Initiate new collaborations between researchers, nonprofit practitioners, and policymakers to better understand and effectively solve problems |
| Membership | 1439 (in 2021) |
| Website | www |
Research4Impact is a U.S. based nonprofit organization that matches academic researchers with practitioners so that they might work together on pressing problems in both private and public spheres.
Background
[edit]Researchers, practitioners, and policymakers often want to collaborate with each other to better understand and solve problems of mutual concern (e.g., poverty, economic development, climate change, land use, environmental challenges, voter engagement), but they are part of distinct social networks and do not always know how to find or relate to one another.[1] After hearing about these challenges, Adam Seth Levine, Jake Bowers, and Donald Green established Research4Impact in 2017 with the aim of fostering both informal and formal collaborations, launching the organization's website in February 2018.[2]
Activities
[edit]Matchmaking
[edit]Research4Impact leverages an evidence-based approach to matchmaking called the Research Impact Through Matchmaking (RITM) method.[3] RITM is based on organizational diversity and emphasizes relationship building in addition to information sharing and has also been adopted by Scholars Strategy Network chapters.[4] In the case of Research4Impact, individuals may contact the organization and ask to be matched with peers. Volunteer staff members then provide a matchmaking service based on responses to anonymized blurbs shared in the organization's newsletter. As of 2021, Research4Impact has generated more than 300 matches.
Research
[edit]Sharing what Research4Impact has learned about facilitating relationships between researchers and practitioners is one of the organization's main goals and activities. This is done through articles, one page briefs, impact stories, and peer reviewed publications.
Workshops
[edit]Research4Impact offers workshops for participants who want to learn how to establish and build collaborations.[5][6]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Duca, Daniela. "Matchmaking tools: Augmenting the relationship between research and industry". SAGE Ocean. SAGE Ocean. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ Wykstra, Stephanie. "Bringing Together Research and Action". Stanford Social Innovation Review. Archived from the original on 30 September 2021. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
- ^ Levine, Adam Seth (2020). "Research Impact Through Matchmaking (RITM): Why and How to Connect Researchers and Practitioners". PS: Political Science & Politics. 53 (2): 265–269. doi:10.1017/S1049096519001720. S2CID 213346764.
- ^ "How To: Chapter Matchmaking". Scholars Strategy Network. Scholars Strategy Network. Archived from the original on 10 January 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2022.
- ^ Mullin, Megan (2021). "Learning from Local Government Research Partnerships in a Fragmented Political Setting". Public Administration Review. 81 (5): 978–982. doi:10.1111/puar.13395. S2CID 235551249.
- ^ Dailey, Dharma; Stone, Sarah; Tanweer, Anissa. "The Data for Good Growth Map" (PDF). eScience Institute. eScience Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 November 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.