Professional Development Opportunities

Upcoming Opportunities

Using the Researcher Impact Framework to Document the Impacts of Your Community-Engaged Research

November 17, 2023 | 10:00-11:00 a.m. Eastern 
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How can we communicate the benefits of engaged research? Join us to discuss the Researcher Impact Framework (RIF), a tool designed to support researchers in identifying, recognizing, and valuing the multiple activities of their scholarly life. Giovanna Lima, impact project officer at Erasmus University Rotterdam, and Sarah Bowman, director of strategic engagement at the Trinity Centre for Ageing and Intellectual Disability at Trinity College Dublin, will share how the RIF can be used and adapted to your needs. 

Giovanna Lima has been delivering strategic approaches to fostering societal impact in research, education, and engagement at Erasmus University Rotterdam since November 2022. Prior to this, Giovanna served as Trinity College Dublin’s first research impact officer. With a Ph.D. and master’s in public administration from FGV-EAESP (Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas), she was a research consultant for The Economist Intelligence Unit and held a number of senior public management roles for the City Hall of São Paulo. Sarah Bowman is an accomplished professional with a career spanning over two decades, characterized by her unwavering commitment to strategic program development and deployment. She has spearheaded policy implementation efforts in over 1,300 communities across the United States, Canada, and Ireland. She has also played a pivotal role in assisting teams in securing funding exceeding $400 million to implement community transformation efforts in Ireland and the United States. 


Leveraging the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement Application

December 6, 2023 | 1:00-2:30 p.m. Eastern 
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Cammie Jones, director of the Carnegie Elective for Community Engagement, will introduce the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement and its relevance to engaged scholarship and community capacity. Utilizing self-study as a tool for institutional reflection, the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement provides an independent and rigorous assessment of an institution’s extraordinary commitment to, investment in, and accomplishment of community engagement. Speakers will highlight the 2024 application cycle and revisions to the 2026 application, including a new section on civic and democratic engagement, how it reflects ongoing transformative shifts within our institutions and communities, and the Carnegie team’s approach to address institutional and community-based problem solving for the public good.


Navigating Leadership Changes in Outreach and Engagement

January (date TBD)
Registration forthcoming

Join Larry D. Terry II, vice president for Penn State Outreach,  and Steve Abel, associate provost for engagement emeritus, Purdue University, to talk about ways in which an engagement professional, researcher, educator, or leader can navigate the leadership changes experienced by many of our institutions. This session is part of ESC’s Coffee and Conversations Series.


Turning Community Work into Publications

February 9, 2024 | 12:00-1:00 p.m. Eastern 
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Diane Doberneck, director for faculty and professional development, Office for Public Engagement and Scholarship, Michigan State University, will talk about specific steps for developing scholarly publications from your community-engaged work. 


Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network (OEPN) Energy Boost

February 15, 2024 | 1:00-2:00 p.m. Eastern 
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Is Barbie a boundary spanner? Join other outreach and engagement practitioners for conversations about what it means to be a boundary spanner. Organized by the ESC Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network.


Preparing for the 2026 Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement

February 28, 2024 | 12:00-1:30 p.m. Eastern 
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Facilitated by Cammie Jones, director of the Carnegie Elective for Community Engagement, this session will introduce participants to the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement 2026 application, highlighting changes in content and practices made by the Electives Team, including the addition of a new section on civic and democratic engagement. The Elective Classifications serve as a tool for people-centered systems change in higher education. Utilizing self-study as a tool for institutional reflection, the Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement assesses institutional principles and practices that promote transformation through collaboration between campuses and communities that demonstrates the legitimacy of community-engaged practices, partnerships rooted in reciprocity, and outcomes in which the knowledge(s) of those in the community are validated and legitimized. The Carnegie Elective Classification for Community Engagement framework reflects ongoing transformative shifts within our institutions, communities, and how we come together to address institutional and community-based problem solving for the public good.


Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement Reviewer Session

April 24, 2024 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Eastern
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This session will be led by the University of Georgia's Shannon Brooks, editor of the Journal of Higher Education and Outreach.


Other Opportunities

Numerous engagement-focused institutions offer educational and training programs to support the development of scholars and practitioners in their engaged endeavors.

Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership Academy

University of Michigan
The Detroit Urban Research Center’s Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership Academy is an NIH-funded training program designed to enhance the capacity of social and behavioral scientists to use community-based participatory research (CBPR). The program is designed for an academic researcher with little or no experience in CBPR and a community partner to participate together in forming a CBPR partnership aimed at eliminating health inequities in their communities. The Academy brings together 12 diverse community-academic teams from around the country for a year-long program that begins with a one week intensive course held in Ann Arbor, Michigan, all expenses paid. Throughout the year, the newly formed teams work together to develop and implement their partnership and a CBPR project focused on improving the health and well-being of their communities, supported by a small planning grant. Monthly ongoing learning activities enable participants to meet virtually and engage in collaborative learning experiences, peer feedback, and mentoring over the pne-year program period. A Partnership Academy Network enables cohorts to share support and networking beyond the year-long program. Learn more at: https://detroiturc.org/programs-expertise/cbpr-partnership-academy.

Community-Engaged Scholarship Writing Retreat

Michigan State University
This annual academic writing retreat provides a dedicated space and time away from campus for faculty, academic staff, and graduate students to write about their community-engaged scholarship, including community-engaged research, service-learning or civic engagement, community-university partnerships, and outreach programs. This two-day, residential retreat includes unstructured time for writing and optional workshops to strengthen participants' writing and publishing skills. Throughout the retreat, feedback is available from Michigan State University staff (Writing Center and University Outreach and Engagement) and participating peers. Participants are expected to already have a community-engaged scholarship writing project and to come prepared to focus their time and attention on their writing. For more information, see: https://engage.msu.edu/learn/learning/writing-retreat.

Emerging Engagement Scholars Workshop

Engagement Scholarship Consortium
This intensive professional development program provides advanced doctoral students and early career faculty with background literature, facilitated discussion, mentoring, and presentations designed to increase their knowledge and enhance their practice of community engaged scholarship. Participation is limited, and interested applicants must be nominated to be considered for this workshop. The Engagement Scholarship Consortium is held annually as a pre-conference event of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium Annual Conference. Further information at: https://engagementscholarship.org/about/esc-partner-programs/emerging-engagement-scholars-workshop.

Engage Academy

National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (UK)
The Engage Academy is a year-long, cohort-based program that meets in Bristol, United Kingdom, for three two-day sessions to explore the role of PURPOSE, PROCESS and PEOPLE in underpinning engagement excellence. Each meeting combines presentations led by individuals prominent within the engagement, funding, and policy communities; practical workshops; and opportunities for peer-supported learning. Mentors with expertise in public engagement strategy, culture change, evaluation, and community engagement are available to provide one-to-one support. The Academy is aimed primarily at those working to embed high quality engagement with research in their institution. It is suitable for individuals based within a higher education institution in the UK, whose role focuses on public engagement with research/involves responsibility for supporting public engagement with research within a department and/or institution. Learn more at: https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/engage-academy.

Engage Researchers' Academy

National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (UK)
The Engage Researchers' Academy is a year-long professional development program for researchers with a passion for public engagement. The program creates a challenging but supportive environment for participants to reflect on what it means to be an engaged researcher, and to explore the quality and value of engagement. It also supports participants in developing skills and experience to work with others and improve the impact and relevance of their research. The Academy is aimed primarily at early to mid-career researchers with experience of engaging the public with their research. It is suitable for academics based at higher education institutions or research institutes in the UK. Further information, at: https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/researchers-academy.

Engaged Faculty Institute (EFI) Curriculum

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, California Campus Compact, and Campus Compact of the Mountain West
The Engaged Faculty Institute (EFI) Curriculum was originally authored by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) in 2007 and has been redesigned by California Campus Compact (CACC) and Campus Compact of the Mountain West (CCMW) in 2015, in collaboration with CCPH. Featuring case studies, reflection questions, suggested readings and resources, the EFI Curriculum provides a thorough, updated roadmap for faculty development specific to service-learning. Learn more at: https://www.ccphealth.org/resources/engaged-faculty-institute-efi-curriculum/.

Engaged Scholars Academy

University of New Hampshire
Offered at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) between 2004 and 2010, the Academy served as a model faculty development program. The Academy's goal was to identify, mentor, and work with faculty from across UNH who were interested in Engaged Scholarship. Ultimately, three new programs evolved from and replaced the Academy at UNH, but organizers established a website documenting the Academy for other universities to use in developing similar faculty development programs. The archival site is at: https://www.unh.edu/engagement/engaged-scholars-academy.

Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy

East Carolina University
The East Carolina University (ECU) Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academies were designed to develop faculty and students to plan and conduct the scholarship of engagement. Included are separate academies for faculty, graduate students, and others (including those focused on engagement with the military). After a peer selection process, scholars attend a series of workshops, complete a research proposal, and implement the research with a community partner. The Academies' purpose is to increase participants' knowledge, motivation, and capacity to secure research funding and conduct scholarly engagement within engagement, outreach, and curricular engagement. Learn more at: http://www.ecu.edu/pscr/Engagement-and-Outreach-Scholars-Academy.cfm.

Evaluation and Applied Research Methods Professional Development Workshop Series

Claremont Graduate University
The Claremont Evaluation Center manages a longstanding professional development workshop series. Typically offered in the summer, the series offers practical and theoretical training in evaluation and applied research through one-day workshops, taught by academics and practitioners from across the globe. For further information, see: http://www.cgu.edu/workshops.

Graduate Certification in Community Engagement

Michigan State University
The program prepares MSU graduate students for academic careers that integrate scholarship with community engagement. The program is tailored for students in cooperation with their graduate advisor and the Office of the Associate Provost for University Outreach and Engagement, and includes both instruction and a mentored experience in community engagement. Upon completion of the program, participants receive a Certificate in Community Engagement and a notation on their academic transcript indicating that they have completed the program. Learn more at: https://gradcert.engage.msu.edu/.

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Certificate Program

University of Guelph
Offered entirely online through three eight-week courses, the University of Guelph’s Certificate in Knowledge Mobilization helps participants develop new skills and use various techniques to help turn knowledge into action. The program consists of courses on: the processes of knowledge translation and dissemination, building capacity to understand and use relevant evidence, and transforming knowledge into action. Learn more at: https://www.knowledgemobilization.ca.

Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Workshop

Outreach and Engagement Practitioners Network
Offered annually as a preconference event of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium Annual Conference, this workshop is designed for university staff, non-tenure-track faculty, and community partners who facilitate, manage, direct, and administer ongoing projects, programs, services, research, and relationships between institutions of higher education and community partners. These professionals span the boundaries between campus and communities and have an emerging professional identity and a unique set of strengths and challenges that will be addressed in this workshop. Because of the overlap in roles, skills, and values, all "boundary spanners" who facilitate community-university partnerships are welcome and encouraged to attend. For further information, see: https://engagementscholarship.org/networks-partnerships/esc-partnerships/outreach-and-engagement-practitioners-network.

Pen to Paper Writing Retreat

Indiana Campus Compact
Pen to Paper is an academic writing retreat designed to provide time, space, and resources to guide faculty, professional staff, graduate students, and community partners working on (or planning for) journal manuscripts related to service- and community-engagement. The two and a half-day retreat provides participants with time to discuss ideas with and receive feedback from journal editors, receive mentoring from senior faculty coaches, share ideas with peers, and write. Each year attendance is intentionally kept to a minimum in order to foster personal connections between participants and their journal editors and senior faculty coaches. The small group also provides the space participants need to focus on their writing. Further information at: http://indianacampuscompact.org/pen-to-paper.

Practitioner-Scholar Forum

International Association for Research on Service-learning and Community Engagement
The Practitioner-Scholars Forum is an initiative of the International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement (IARSLCE), a professional association dedicated to advancing and promoting research about community engagement. The Forum is a sponsorship and capacity-building program open to engagement centers and initiatives across the globe. It also provides a unique opportunity during the IARSLCE annual conference to interact with practitioner-scholars who are interested in contributing to and using cutting-edge research in their engagement practice. The Forum builds practitioners’ capacity to produce and use scholarship and touches on professional practices associated with creating spaces and the conditions for community-engaged scholarship to flourish. For further information, see: http://www.researchslce.org.

Preparing for the 2020 Carnegie Classification for Community Engagement Workshop

Campus Compact
In partnership with John Saltmarsh and the Swearer Center at Brown University, the new administrative home of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, Campus Compact is pleased to offer application preparation workshops. These one-day workshops, offered in locations across the U.S., aim to support campuses that are first-time applicants or re-classifying for the 2020 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification (those classified in 2010). Topics will include: orientation to the classification and re-classification frameworks; the 2020 process; additions and changes to the documentation framework; review of the documentation framework and complete application; and strategies that have been effective for successful applications. There will be opportunities to work though aspects of the application and consider evidence that campuses can provide and time for participants to ask questions. Both individuals and teams are welcome to attend. Additional information, at: https://compact.org/carnegie.

Publicly Active Graduate Education (PAGE) Program

Imagining America
Each year, Imagining America (IA) supports graduate students to participate in its national conference. These Fellows attend a day-long PAGE Summit that includes seminar-style discussion and analysis of public scholarship literature; in-depth dialogue and activities for building the language and practical skills of engaged scholarship; and small group exchanges for sharing and receiving feedback about their research and creative practice. Fellows also participate in conference sessions and meet with senior scholars and veteran practitioners for individual mentorship. Learn more at: https://imaginingamerica.org/what-we-do/fellowships/page//.

Research Academy

Indiana University - Indianapolis
Convened each year in early May, the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Research Academy represents a growth point for research and scholarship focused on service-learning. The proceedings challenge participants to develop collaborations with fellow practitioners and researchers that will enhance their work and contribute to a collective understanding of service-learning. The objectives of the academy are to: strengthen research on service and learning, advance the scholarship of teaching and learning, provide consultation and feedback on research proposals, and build a network of service-learning scholars. For more information, see: https://csl.iupui.edu/workshops-events/conferences/academy/index.html.

Research and Engagement Academy

University of New Hampshire
The Academy is designed to advance and support the scholarly careers and success of Univesity of New Hampshire faculty members by strengthening the quality and quantity of grant proposals submitted to federal agencies and foundations and by increasing the diversity of faculty who are awarded funding. Among its goals, the Academy attempts to create opportunities among faculty for multidisciplinary scholarship and engagement. Learn more at: https://www.unh.edu/engagement/research.

Service-Learning Fellows Program

University of Georgia
The Service-Learning Fellows Program is a year-long faculty development program that provides an opportunity for selected University of Georgia (UGA) faculty members to integrate service-learning into their teaching, research, and public service work while becoming recognized campus leaders in service-learning pedagogy and community engagement. Highlights include: a day-long retreat and orientation, monthly fellows meetings with topics tailored to the unique interests of the group, development of a service-learning project, mentoring from previous participants, and a culminating Service-Learning Fellows Poster Session and Showcase. The program is supported by the Office of Service-Learning and is open to all permanent, full-time UGA faculty members including: academic tenure track, academic professionals, public service faculty, lecturers, medical school, and clinical faculty members with an interest in service-learning. To learn more, see: http://servicelearning.uga.edu/service-learning-fellows-program.

Summer Intensive on Community-Engaged Scholarship

Michigan State University
Offered in the summer each year, this week-long professional development program focuses on community-engaged research and community-engaged teaching and learning, including service-learning and community-based research in classes. The Summer Intensive is composed of interactive workshops, conversations in disciplinary clusters and with senior community-engaged scholars, dialogue with community partners, and time for participants to develop their own community engagement plans. Participants will come away with: conceptual frameworks and scholarly resources; practical partnership, collaboration, and evaluation tools; perspectives from community partners on engagement; career advice from senior community-engaged scholars about promotion and tenure; strategies for publishing community-engaged scholarship; strategies for translating university knowledge for public audiences; and support from a network of interdisciplinary colleagues. For further information, see: https://engage.msu.edu/summerintensive.

Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars Program

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
The Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars program brings together selected faculty from across the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill (UNC) to engage in a two-year experiential, competency-based curriculum designed to advance their engaged scholarship. Scholars participate in sessions in community settings to learn from Carolina faculty and their community partners. While developing individual projects, each class of scholars forms a learning community along with the faculty and community course directors to support one another’s projects and community partners. The growing network of Thorp Faculty Engaged Scholars reports outcomes including new interdisciplinary collaborations, successful grant applications and both traditional and non-traditional products of scholarship. Learn more at: http://ccps.unc.edu/fes.