UROP Project

Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Resources to Meet Community-Driven Research and Evaluation Needs in Tallahassee

Community-engaged research, nonprofit collaboration, evaluation capacity, data access, higher education partnerships, Tallahassee, public sector, civic engagement, community development, applied research

Research Mentor: Maria Paula McIntyre Nwenyi,
Department, College, Affiliation: Center for Leadership & Service, N/A
Contact Email: mmcintyre@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor):
Research Assistant Supervisor Email:
Faculty Collaborators: Dr. Joi N. Phillips, Ph.D.
Faculty Collaborators Email: jnphillips@admin.fsu.edu

Looking for Research Assistants: Yes
Number of Research Assistants: 1
Relevant Majors: • Public Administration
• Social Work
• Urban and Regional Planning
• Sociology
• Interdisciplinary Social Sciences
• Criminology
• Education Policy and Evaluation
• Political Science
• Data Science / Statistics
• Nonprofit Management
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required: Yes
Remote or In-person: Partially Remote
Approximate Weekly Hours: An average of 8 hours per week, During business hours
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link:

• Day: Friday, September 5
  Start Time: 4:00
  End Time: 4:30
  Zoom Link: https://fsu.zoom.us/j/94896472627

Project Description

Across Tallahassee, community-based organizations, nonprofits, and public agencies engage in critical work to support local residents. These organizations often identify clear needs for data collection, program evaluation, and applied research but lack the capacity or resources to address them internally.
Florida State University (FSU), as a public research institution, holds considerable expertise and infrastructure that could be mobilized in service of these community-defined needs. However, alignment between university research practices and community priorities is often inconsistent or fragmented.
This project seeks to explore and develop pathways for mutual collaboration between FSU and Tallahassee’s nonprofit and public sectors. Specifically, it will identify:
1. What evaluation and data needs are most valued by local community organizations.
2. What barriers and opportunities exist in leveraging university resources to meet these needs.
3. How institutional practices at FSU can be adapted to foster sustainable, ethical, and community-responsive research partnerships.
The project will use a community-engaged, qualitative approach, centering the voices and expertise of local organizational leaders, while mapping institutional assets at FSU. Ultimately, this research will inform a replicable framework for reciprocal university–community collaborations, aligned with FSU’s values of service, leadership, and civic responsibility.


Research Tasks: Research Assistants (RAs) will engage in the following tasks:
1. Community Asset and Needs Mapping
o Conduct an environmental scan of local nonprofits and agencies.
o Develop a community database categorized by sector, mission, and capacity.
2. Stakeholder Engagement
o Assist in recruiting and interviewing leaders from community organizations and public agencies.
o Document community-defined research and evaluation priorities.
3. University Capacity Assessment
o Identify FSU centers, faculty, and student programs that could provide support.
o Analyze gaps in current engagement practices.
4. Data Collection and Analysis
o Conduct qualitative interviews and focus groups.
o Code and analyze data using thematic analysis methods (e.g., NVivo).
5. Product and Partnership Development
o Create a poster presentation with recommendations for bridging community needs with FSU resources.
o Contribute to building a prototype “community-university partnership dashboard” or directory.
6. Knowledge Sharing
o Help prepare materials for public presentations, community roundtables, and student engagement events.
o Collaborate on reports, infographics, and policy briefs for both university and community audiences.

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: No prior experience is required—training and guided reflection will be built into the experience. However, RAs will benefit from having or developing the following skills:
• Social competencies and a deep respect for community knowledge
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills
• Experience or interest in community engagement, public service, or nonprofit work
• Comfort navigating university structures or interest in organizational analysis
• Ability to synthesize information and communicate clearly for a variety of audiences