Supporting Community Engaged Research

The UC Davis Center for Regional Change is a catalyst for collaborative and action-oriented research that centers social justice. We focus on issues that transcend jurisdictional boundaries with emphasis on disadvantaged communities, youth, rural areas, land-use, food security, health equity and housing. With expertise from community, multidisciplinary faculty, staff and students, we conduct participatory research and outreach that centers democratized data through the development of platforms, spatial visualization, technical support and curricular development. Based in the Central Valley and proximate to the State Capital of the world's leading agricultural producer and fifth-largest economy, the CRC is housed within and with supported by the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. 

The CRC honors many ways of knowing and seeks to include those individuals most impacted by research findings to be involved in developing, participating in, and disseminating research about the communities they live in. However, structural and systemic barriers exist for many populations and communities. The CRC is raising money to address barriers to participation in community engaged research which include, but are not limited to, providing child care services so that families can participate in workshops, refreshments during meetings of advisory groups and research partners, interpretation of documents and live interpretation during meetings, and providing other services to provide reasonable accommodations. Donors who support the project provide the CRC with funds to support participating members in CRC community engaged research, including as study participants, project advisors, and research partners. Without addressing these barriers, (many of which are not funded through traditional research funding), diverse groups of community members from the most marginalized and underrepresented communities are disincentivized or unable to participate in research that has the power to shape their community for decades to come. The CRC prioritizes closing these barriers to participation and improving inclusivity. We can be successful when enough funds are available to accommodate the needs of participants.

Your gift will support the Center for Regional Change and it's current goal to raise money to address barriers to participation in community engaged research.