It’s Symbiotic: Exploring the Facilitators and Outcomes of a Successful Community-University Research Partnership

This study examines a community–university partnership formed as part of a funded research project. Using case study methodologies, the authors explored the characteristics and facilitators of a community–university partnership from the perspective of community partners. Partners participated in semi-structured interviews about their perceptions of the nature of the partnership, and historical documents and partnership archives were analyzed. Results indicate that the success of the partnership has been most facilitated by the creation of shared space, and by the strategic alignment of goals and roles within that space. These findings provide guidance to scholars and community research teams in developing community–university partnerships. Future research should test the utility of the constructs presented here for improving partnerships across other types of organizations and communities and utilize cross-case comparisons to account for the central role of context.