Description

Sacramento State is committed to being the region’s anchor university through the strategic development of long-term collaborations that can respond to complex community needs and challenges. To this end, the Anchor University Advisory Council (AUAC) along with the College of Social Sciences and Interdisciplinary Studies are offered three Collaborative Research Fellowships in the 2022/2023 academic year. These fellowships will support collaborations between Sacramento State and community partners to conduct survey research about the Sacramento Region. Note that this fellowship does not include the disbursement of any funds; it covers the expenses for fielding research on the Sacramento Regional Panel (a value of approximately $10,000), including:

Supported development of research questions: University and Community Fellows will work together to identify a focus of research inquiry and a set of survey questions (approximately 20 questions). Fellows will attend an orientation with staff from the Institute for Social Research in the Fall of 2022, that will provide technical assistance on constructing survey questions and options for analysis.

Fielding of questions: Survey questions will be fielded on the Sacramento Regional Panel early in 2023, an ongoing collaboration between the Institute for Social Research and Valley Vision. The survey panel is a random sample of about 3,000 households across six counties (Sacramento, Yolo, Placer, Sutter, El Dorado, Solano). Surveys will be administered in English and Spanish, and survey data will be weighted to ensure the responses are representative of the region. A data file and code book with the overall survey responses, as well as extensive panelist demographic data (i.e., age, residence, ethnicity/race, income, etc.) will be provided to the Fellows.

Community presentation of findings: In Spring 2023, an Anchor University Collaborative Fellowship event will be held at the Sacramento State Downtown campus where Fellows will present key findings from their research. Stakeholders from the community and university will be invited to attend. In addition, there will be a summary publication produced by ISR highlighting the fellowships’ research.

Additional information about the Sacramento Regional Panel can be found here: ISR Website

Application Requirements

Required:

1. The proposed research must connect directly to improving the well-being of the Sacramento Region and the quality of life of communities.
2. The proposed activities must advance equity, antiracism, and/or social justice in our community and/or on campus.
3. All applicants must have an existing relationship with at least one community partner (community organization, government agency, school, initiative, etc.) and describe how they will work collaboratively with the community partner to identify research questions, interpret data, and disseminate findings to the broader community. This partner organization must provide a letter of support for the grant application.

Projects must align broadly with one of the following six sectors:

• Pre-K - 12 Education
• Health and Well-Being
• Homelessness and Housing
• Arts and Culture
• Environment, Mobility, and Sustainability
• Inclusive Economic Opportunity & Workforce Development

Preferred:

• The proposed activities expand opportunities for collaborative scholarship.
• The proposed activities enhance Sac State students’ community engagement skills.
• The proposed activities augment the understanding of the region.

Timeline:

The grant application period will open August 1st and all applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 30, 2022. We plan to announce grant awardees by October 17, enabling fellows to execute their grants between October 2022 and June 30, 2023. All awardees will be required to document how research findings were used and advanced the University’s anchor mission.

Questions:

For questions regarding the Sacramento Regional Survey Panel, please contact Shannon Williams at shannon.a.williams@csus.edu