Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI)’s Community-Engaged Research Core is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Community-Engaged Research Fellowship Program now through Oct. 1. The program offers training and a mentorship network to scientists interested in advancing their community-engaged research expertise across Penn State campuses.
Applications are due Oct. 1, with selected fellows to be notified by Dec. 10. Projects are expected to begin July 1, 2025, and last through June 30, 2026.
Community-engaged research includes the active involvement and participation of community stakeholders in the research process, such as recruitment/retention strategies, survey development, and dissemination of research findings across an array of audiences (e.g., scientific and general public). Stakeholders can include communities and their members, patients, clinicians, researchers, purchasers, payers, industry, hospitals and health systems, training institutions and policymakers, among others.
This one-year fellowship program is for early- or mid-career faculty as well as established researchers at Penn State who desire new experiential learning in community-engaged research, mentoring in the science and practice of community-engaged research or to enhance their current involvement in community-engaged research. The program will fund the awardee’s salary support to an equivalent of up to two course buyouts (one per semester) or .10 FTE over the course of the fellowship, with the guidance and support of a fellow-identified mentor.
During the fellowship, awardees will:
- receive training from a mentor who is experienced in community-engaged research (CER);
- conduct a pilot study or be a part of a study, which applies the CER principles and engages a community;
- participate in monthly team meetings and be involved in Penn State CTSI’s CER services (e.g., consultations and community engagement studios);
- meet with CER faculty, experts in the field of CER, about their research work;
- complete a six-month curriculum focused on CER;
- participate in the CTSI-sponsored presentations and workshops;
- present at least one CER-focused presentation during the fellowship; and
- plan to submit at least one peer-reviewed manuscript within six months of fellowship completion and articulate a clear plan for an external grant proposal submission.
Fellows will also become part of the CTSI Community-Engaged Research Core team, attending regular team meetings and working with the team on activities and consultations as part of the fellowship experience.