Request for Proposals
Faculty Community-Based Research
Program
OVERVIEW
The Center for Public Service announces a grant competition to support faculty
conducting community-based research. CPS defines community-based research as
collaborative, change-oriented research that engages faculty members, students, and
community members in projects that address community needs. Support for this area
of research is consistent with the center’s mission to support “…a university curriculum
and research agenda by uniting academics and action, classroom and communities
through which students, faculty and community partners dedicate themselves to the
transformation of civic life”.
GOAL
An essential contribution provided by an academic institution is the gathering and
dissemination of information within local, regional, national, and international
communities. Catalyzed by Tulane’s renewed commitment to local and regional
neighbors, the Community-based Research grant program provides Tulane faculty
members with the financial resources required to conduct research that advances
Tulane’s research and civic agendas in the context of contemporary New Orleans. The
center’s goal for this program is two-tiered. The immediate goal is to support faculty
members currently engaged in or currently planning community-based research. Our
ultimate goal is to further promote collaboration between the greater New Orleans
community and Tulane University by institutionalizing engaged teaching, learning, and
research at Tulane.
SCOPE
Successful proposals will be collaborative in nature and can include participatory action
research, policy research, program evaluation, or needs assessment. Proposals will be
written with the intent of contributing to the knowledge base of the partner population or
community-based agency.
Proposal Requirements:
 Proposals should not exceed 5 pages.
 Must include a plan for community partnership, project rationale, research plan,
and an information dissemination plan.
 A detailed budget and budget narrative
 Timeline of the research plan
 Current curriculum vitae
 Preference will be given to those proposals that include the following:
 Student involvement (in conducting, disseminating, or analyzing research)
 Research conducted within the New Orleans area


Direct contribution to community well-being
Contribution to a larger program of research
We anticipate receiving two types of proposals: seed projects that will serve as the
basis for a larger grant and research projects that can be fully supported by the stipend
provided through this grant.
OUTCOME
The center anticipates that the Community-based Research grants program will support
high quality community-based research by Tulane faculty members and, in turn, provide
high quality research to diverse communities and community-based agencies across
the greater New Orleans metropolitan region. Simultaneously, the program will
increase opportunities for Tulane students to participate in faculty-led community based
research projects.
CPS ROLE
The Center for Public Service anticipates supporting a small group of projects with
award amounts of $2500 to $5000. Selected proposals will be announced in December
2008 with implementation expected in January 2009. Grants will be reviewed and
selected by the Center for Public Service Subcommittee for Community-Based
Research, an interdisciplinary body of Tulane faculty members. The grant period is 18
months. All proposals must be received no later than Thursday, November 6th, 2008.
Grant recipients are expected to comply with the following program requirements:
 Submission of a project update every six months (June and December 2009)
 Submission of a comprehensive report including a project review and final budget
and documentation at the end of the grant period (June 2010)
 Presentation of work in the CPS Community-based Research faculty symposium.
The center will convene symposia for faculty grantees to present research to
community members, future grantees, and university peers near the end of the
grant period.
Information and Proposal Submission
For more information, please contact Michael Pizzolatto, Program Manager at the
Center for Public Service, at (504)862-3347. Complete proposals should be sent to:
Michael Pizzolatto
327 Gibson Hall
6823 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
Applicants may also submit proposals electronically to mpizzola@tulane.edu.