Community Partnerships
The Faculty of Social Work has a long tradition of partnering with community agencies and governments in conducting research. Establishing a research partnership with the Faculty provides a number of value added services including:
• Access to all databases in the University of Calgary library system
• Content and research expertise provided by Social Work faculty members
• Ethics certification by the University of Calgary
• Credibility by partnering with an established research institution
• Access to multi/interdisciplinary and sectoral research teams
• Research capacity building for agency staff and student research assistants/future practitioners
• Community/practice based learning which can be applied by faculty to the FSW curriculum
• Opportunities for the dissemination of research findings such as ACSW Category A professional development workshops offered by the Centre, co-authoring journal articles, conference and community presentations, and digital storytelling
In addition to research services, the Centre for Social Work Research and Professional Development facilitates training, mentoring and professional development services to social agencies, government departments, community groups, students, and faculty.
The Centre is regularly approached by community agencies and government departments to provide research services such as the following:
• recruiting research assistants
• identifying research needs and refining research questions
• determining suitable research designs
• developing logic models
• providing research skills training
• conducting research projects
• developing research partnerships
• providing faculty expertise in a wide range of fields of practice
The Centre's approach to research focuses on collaboration and capacity building. We use a collaborative approach to research projects and invite agency/ department representatives to be involved in all stages of the research project. This approach to research helps to demystify the research process, develop or enhance research capacities and ensure that the research meets the requirements of the agency/department.
Contact Dr. Cathryn Bradshaw, Director of the Centre for Social Work Research and Professional Development to enquire about research partnering with the Faculty.
Research Practicum in Community Agencies
Another way to partner with the Faculty of Social Work around research is to develop a research practicum. This type of practicum works to increase students' experience, skills and confidence in conducting research, thereby building research capacity within the community. In the future, practicum students will contribute their research experience to agencies and the research they conduct or use in framing their interventions. Assistance for developing a research practicum is available through the Centre. Please contact Contact Dr. Cathryn Bradshaw [link my name to web page], Director of the Centre for Social Work Research and Professional Development to enquire about establishing a research practicum.