Focusing on research skills and team-building for better community-engaged research.
The Research Innovations using Sensor Technology in Environmental Justice Communities, or RISE Communities program will consist of three complementary components: 1) an intensive summer session located on the campuses of the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio designed to provide training and team building for community-academic research teams with an interest in monitoring air quality using sensor technology, 2) monthly webinars participants will attend for at least 1 year, or longer if they wish for continued engagement across RISE Communities cohorts, and 3) an interactive website to facilitate continued interaction and serve as a repository and resource for participants.
Participation in RISE Communities will require a research team that includes at least one member from an academic institution and an environmental justice community partner. Research teams who are accepted into the program will receive instruction in research techniques, technical skills related to sensors, and gain access to team science resources that are specific to community-academic partnerships. During the in-person intensive short course, the research teams will participate in team-building activities designed to align goals and develop communication skills that will increase their trust in each other.
Our research education program relies on three primary methods of instruction:
Didactic instruction will focus on the principles of community-engaged research, research methodology including study design, data collection and analysis, and data interpretation and visualization, responsible conduct of research, and technical training on environmental sensors. Interactive components will be included in each topic, giving participants the opportunity to discuss case examples, ask questions, collaboratively solve problems, and learn from others’ experiences.
Experiential learning will be incorporated across all topics. Participants will engage in a team-building activity where they first learn about different styles of communication and the importance of diversity in teams before developing their own team charter, which facilitates discussion of team goals, roles, communication plans, conflict management techniques, and project methods and deliverables. During the in-person intensive short course, participants will travel to the site of an ongoing environmental health research study at a local EJ community. RISE Communities participants will observe and experience first-hand the complex issues in an urban EJ community, as well as practice establishing a low-cost sensor network including sensor placement, calibration, data management, data cleaning, and data visualization and interpretation.
Workshop-based training will also occur during the intensive short-course. Workshops will give participants the opportunity to work together in small teams, using their learning to refine and finalize their research plans, obtain feedback from the community of practice, and trouble- shoot any lingering issues or questions before they depart.
The application portal for the 2024 program is now closed. The portal will reopen in Winter 2025 for our August 2025 program.
Here is a sample of the proposed programming. Please contact the RISE Communities program coordinator for a complete list of the training modules.
Contact us
Do you have questions about the program? Visit our FAQs page and feel free to contact us any time.
Email
daniel.hargraves@uc.edu
All costs for the training, including air travel, lodging and meals will be provided at no cost to the research team. Each team will also receive FREE PurpleAir PA-IISD Air Quality Monitors to establish low-cost monitoring networks in their communities, share data, and view monitoring results from around the world.