Structure
Through the Community Fellows Program, we aim to support research that will lead to positive outcomes such as improved service delivery, the development of new services, improved ability to advocate effectively or the improved capacity to undertake future research projects.
Overview
Community Fellows are able to spend time at the University of Melbourne to develop research skills. Projects should be relevant to the work of community-based organisations and aim to promote social equity. Projects could involve conducting a scoping report, literature review, data analysis or a small research project.
The initiative is targeted at small to medium-sized community-based organisations (up to 199 employees) that currently have very limited capacity to conduct research. Projects should be small, tightly focused and address an issue of relevance to the organisation. Key objectives for the Community Fellows Program are to meet community-based needs for research and to foster community–academic collaborations.
Mentoring
Each Community Fellow is assigned an Academic Mentor with relevant expertise. The Melbourne Social Equity Institute and Academic Mentor will work with the Fellow to design a feasible project. The Mentor and Fellow will meet regularly over the course of the project and additional support will be provided by the Institute to assist Fellows to conduct and write up their research.
Research Training
During their placement, Fellows will have opportunities to participate in a range of academic and professional development activities. Community Fellows will be provided with hot-desking facilities, a temporary email address, access to Canvas (the University’s Learning Management System) and to library and internet facilities.
Funding
Grants of $7000 are made available to the community-based organisations to compensate them for the time that Fellows spend working on their research projects. A small research budget will be allocated to each Community Fellow to enable them to undertake their research. A Collaboration Agreement will be created specifying project details, levels of financial support and expected outcomes.
Expectations
Community Fellows are expected to actively participate in the research training provided which includes an intensive three-day orientation and training program. Fellows are also expected to engage with other Fellows as part of a cohort experience and to participate in a mid-term work-in-progress workshop with the rest of the cohort.
The Community Fellows Program jointly supported by the Indigenous Knowledge Institute and the Melbourne Social Equity Institute have opened the door to other ways of knowing and doing research that are changing ways of best practice within the University. Professor Michael-Shawn Fletcher, Director of Research, Indigenous Knowledge Institute
Being a part of the program provided me with access to academic support and a wealth of resources that helped in building my knowledge and understanding of gender, masculinities, and the migration experience. It is an experience that brings community and university together in a mutually enriching encounter to learn from each other and helped in shining a light on what are often overlooked community issues. I found that it has helped me to think more profoundly about the issue I am researching and to reflect on the links to broader social factors and impacts. Dalal Smiley, CEO, Wellsprings for Women
(The fellowship) has given me depth and ways of thinking much more complexly about teaching and learning, which I think has changed me both professionally and personally. I’d like to pursue small research opportunities in the future and continue to deepen my knowledge of research practices. Hayley Black, English language teacher, Carringbush Adult Education
The Community Fellows Program gives our small organisation an opportunity to do much-needed original research in our specialised field that would not have been otherwise possible. It gives me the space, time and resources to stop, think and investigate. Invaluable! Denise Cauchi, Director, Diaspora Action Australia
One of the major strengths I see in the Program is its flexibility; its adaptability to the needs of the Fellows and the skills and expertise of mentors. This flexibility, alongside the minimal administrative burden placed upon Fellows and mentors, is a refreshing and highly valuable approach, ensuring that participants can focus solely on areas of capacity-building and uplift without the rigid constraints typical in many contexts. Nick Cooper, Monitoring and Evaluation Project Manager, Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
I think the Community Fellows model is fantastic. This is what we should be doing as academics and as a public institution. It’s part of our role to do this public work, and this is a great model for everyone. Professor Jennifer Balint, Dean of the Faculty of Arts