ABSTRACT
In reviewing the eclectic collection of projects pursued by National Forum staff, students, and graduates—as well as individuals with two or three degrees of separation from the National Forum—the authors have seen how each is an attempt to engage a community, an institution, or a constituent in a search for answers to real and immediate problems. Successful and sustained engaged research is seeded in relationships that grow out of shared perspectives, information, and resources. Researchers and community members share a responsibility for identifying and defining the specific research problems for collaborative work. Engaged research is a process as well as an outcome of intentional activities based on shared interests and issues. Tenure and promotion guidelines vary, but engaged research is increasingly an accepted and welcomed avenue to pursue important work in the community and in the academy.
