Community-Engaged Research
At CSUN, research doesn’t just happen in labs on campus. We’re out in our communities, partnering with innovative public and private sector organizations— from local nonprofits to NASA! We’re committed to working together to answer questions, evaluate solutions and improve lives.
Examples of our community-engaged research include, but are not limited to, the following.
BUILD PODER
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Promoting Opportunities for Diversity in Education and Research (PODER) is a large undergraduate biomedical research training program supported by the National Institute of Health (NIH). Using a social justice framework, BUILD PODER aims to train biomedical leaders from diverse backgrounds and address health disparities. We believe that when we diversify the biomedical workforce, researchers will generate innovative and relevant research questions, methods, and interpretations that will lead to health equity.
Health Equity Research and Education (HERE) Center
Growing out of BUILD PODER’s foundation, the HERE Center brings together resources and talent from across CSUN to advance community-partnered participatory research and health equity advocacy. Working with community organizations is at the forefront of HERE’s model and our partners include the County of Los Angeles Public Health Department, LA Family Housing, the Child Development Institute and more.
The Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM (ARCS)
The Autonomy Research Center for STEAHM (ARCS) is a NASA-launched university center of excellence, forging research collaborations between physical, social, and behavioral science (S); technology and engineering (T); entrepreneurship and business (E); arts (A); humanities (H); and mathematics (M). Our mission is to combine transdisciplinary, university-wide knowledge and talent from faculty, students, and NASA scientists to conduct convergence research and collaboration using increasingly autonomous systems (IA).
Marilyn Magaram Center Center for Food Science, Nutrition, and Dietetics (MMC)
MMC’s mission is to enhance and promote good health and wellbeing through research, education and services in food science, nutrition and dietetics. We live out that mission by partnering with local schools and community partners, helping people across the San Fernando Valley make nutrition and lifestyle changes.
The Center of Achievement through Adapted Physical Activity
The Center, which provides internationally recognized adapted fitness programs for people with disabilities, collaborates with health professionals on clinical research. Through grant projects, research publications, and conference presentations, we’re advancing communal knowledge, all while delivering both aquatic and land-based therapeutic exercise programs for individuals with special needs and training students and professionals in rehabilitation-related fields.