View this Publication
This report is a proposal for supplemental funding to continue the Research Capacity Initiative (RCI), a project that assists rural development organizations with research. The proposal, submitted by Priscilla Salant of Washington State University in September 1991, requests $153,000 from the Ford Foundation and the Aspen Institute. The RCI employs four main strategies:
- Collaborative Research: Supporting research partnerships between rural organizations and experienced researchers. As of September 1991, RCI has assisted 11 groups in various stages of research, from planning studies to data analysis. An evaluation found that while overall expectations were realistic, the timeline for projects was often underestimated by RCI and the researchers, primarily due to the organizations’ differing priorities and lack of research experience. The quality of relationships between groups and researchers was influenced by ideological alignment and geographical distance.
- Research Manuals: Writing and distributing guides to strengthen research capacity. The first manual, “A Community Researcher’s Guide to Rural Data,” was published in 1990, and a second, “Conducting Surveys: A Guide for Community Researchers,” is in progress and considered a top priority given the need for survey research skills among participating groups.
- Workshops: Developing and conducting research skills workshops. The first workshop, held in July 1991 for rural groups in the Northwest, received positive feedback. Participants valued hands-on sessions and opportunities to connect with researchers. Lessons learned suggest future workshops should be more applied, interactive, and longer (at least 2 days).
- Referrals: Providing referrals to researchers and publications. Although not widely publicized, RCI has responded to 6 requests for referrals in the past year, primarily from isolated grassroots and minority organizations.
Proposed work for the supplemental grant includes:
- Finishing and publishing the survey research manual.
- Continuing work on 8 ongoing collaborative projects.
- Issuing a second Request for Proposals to make 7 more research matches, with efforts to involve other foundations.
- Conducting a second Research Skills Workshop, potentially in cooperation with other development intermediaries like the Edmund S. Muskie Institute and MDC, Inc.
- Continuing to provide referrals.
The grant would be administered by Washington State University, with Priscilla Salant as Project Director and Anita Waller as Project Assistant. The budget details salaries, travel, workshop costs, and funding for new collaborative research projects. The document also includes an affirmative action statement for Washington State University’s Department of Agricultural Economics.
