Mission
Political science has a vital role to play in shaping public knowledge and informing problem-solving of public issues. This presents both an opportunity and a challenge. Conducting robust community and civically engaged research entails a different set of practices than other kinds of political science research, and historically there has been little training available for engaged researchers.
ICER aims to support engaged research by training political scientists to conduct rigorous scholarship that addresses significant social challenges, in ways that collaborate with and give back to rather than extract from communities of interest. Simultaneously, the Institute works to signal the value of engaged research, support the production of more research in this area, and create spaces for engaged researchers to form networks that can help define the discipline’s path forward as a leader in engaged research.