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Support

Support for Community-Based and Civic Organizations, Government Agencies and Health Systems

We value you as a research partner, not just a participant. Community partners are co-investigators contributing expertise that helps shape research questions, methods and the interpretation and use of findings in community-engaged research.

The Center for Community-Engaged Research (CCER) will help you tap into Northwestern’s research enterprise to answer a research question, evaluate a program, or build evidence for your work, connecting you with the appropriate Northwestern faculty, centers, or schools so you don’t have to navigate the University on your own.

For funded partnerships, our professional staff can manage project workflows and deliverables, including policy briefs, white papers, and evaluation protocols you can present to funders, boards, and policymakers.

Support for Northwestern Researchers

Community-engaged research is rigorous scholarship, and it works best when the University reduces the administrative burdens and provides the infrastructure to perform this work well.

Services We Provide

  • Whether you are beginning a new project or refining an existing one, we will offer guidance on community-engaged research design, approaches, and methods, from advisory boards to co-designed participatory research.

  • Grant support. We will help you integrate community engagement and Broader Impacts into federal proposals, including NSF and NIH submissions.

  • A smoother research process. We will help you work through contracts, data use agreements, insurance, community partner payments, and including community-based researchers as co-investigators in IRB protocols.

  • Seed funding for exploring new partnerships. Starting in spring 2027, we will offer seed funding for exploring new relationships with community-based organizations.

  • Research support for deepening partnerships. Starting in the 2027-28 academic year, CCER will offer promising partnerships funding and support to develop their research ideas into research proposals.

  • Project management for high-stakes partnerships. For funded and complex collaborations, our staff can coordinate partners, timelines, and deliverables so that you can focus on the research.

Training, Administrative Guidance and Connections Across Northwestern

Upcoming Resources

We are actively expanding our support offerings. Detailed guidance, training modules, and cross-campus connection tools will be introduced in phased rollouts—check back soon for updates.