UROC announces 2021 Research Agenda Grant Competition awardees

A University-community selection committee has named the 2021 recipients of the UROC Research Agenda Grant Competition.

Launched in September of 2020, the UROC Research Agenda is a framework for addressing themes that community members and University of Minnesota researchers and practitioners identified as being critical to a thriving North Minneapolis and Twin Cities urban core.

The following awardees were chosen by a University-community selection committee:

Is Fast Food Here Because We Want It, or Do We Want It Because It’s Here?
This project aims to investigate the history of urban planning policies and land use designations prioritizing fast food destinations, auto dependency, and a lack of access to fresh foods. In addition, the project hopes to inspect the food justice principles and their application to evaluative tools. Principle investigator: Humphrey School of Public affairs Assistant Professor Fernando Burga. 

Collaboration for Resilient Kids and Families in Minnesota
This project seeks to provide both culturally relevant mental health services and improve the school climate for refugee and immigrant youth and families through extensive community engagement and strengths-based education. The key goal of the project is to extend the model to all Minneapolis public schools by the end of 2027. Principal investigator: College of Education and Human Development Assistant Professor Saida Abdi.

Bridges and Connectors: Networking for Anti-Racist Navigation in Education
This project intends to develop an infrastructure as a compass to counter systemic racism. This study draws on the supportive connections between communities to enhance network collaborations to mobilize anti-racist agendas and sustain/retain current and future teachers of color. Principal investigators: Assistant Professor Stefanie Marshall and Lecturer Abigail Rombalski. 

Each of these engaged research projects will receive funding in the amount of $15,000 to support one University graduate research assistant to help plan, establish, implement, and evaluate strategic initiatives that advance the Research Agenda's priorities. The UROC staff will provide support and community-engaged guidance to the projects through a community-based cohort model.