It may feel impossible to think about self-care amidst a world on fire. To care for ourselves is an incredible privilege, and the systemic forces of oppression and injustice often allow some more access to this privilege than others. And, our ability to continue to show up to the work of health equity and justice is inextricably linked to our own wellbeing.
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Our Statement of Solidarity
At Interdisciplinary Research Leaders, we stand in solidarity with the family of George Floyd and other families who have lost their loved ones to police brutality, with the protestors locally and around the world, and with all who are demanding justice and action to dismantle the systems of racial oppression that Black people face daily.
Coping with Covid: Guidance for prisons, jails, and people post-release
Prisons and jails are unhealthy environments under normal circumstances. A pandemic makes them even moreso. With people living in tight quarters and limited access to soap, masks, hand sanitizer and other basic supplies, it is no surprise that we have seen the coronavirus ravage many prisons nationwide. Our team realized that people leaving these spaces needed clear information on how to transition back home during this pandemic.
Road Mapping Interdisciplinary Community-Engaged Research for Health
To pave the way for further interdisciplinary research for health we, Farrah Jacquez and Lina Svedin (IRL Cohort 1), have developed a book series with the University of Cincinnati Press. Each volume in the edited series describes silo-breaking research that partners with community stakeholders to do work that will lead to community benefit.
Charting Our Own Data-Driven Path
If you’ve never started your own nonprofit, it’s a lot like everything else. The parts I thought would be hard were easy, and the parts I thought would be easy were hard.
But in the end, it’s about the kids and my state. Right now, we’re in uncharted territory, and no one seems to know how to chart a path out. For me, the answer is data. Data charts the path out. That’s where we’ll begin.
Why I answered the call for IRL, and why we together answer the call for Interdisciplinary Research Leadership
The convening was a wake-up call about the value of community-engaged research. As a local sector, we had not built the base of evidence in terms of what had worked, was working or not, and what change was happening…and for whom. An influential outsider defined what impact local efforts would be measured by instead of the neighborhood residents who had worked so hard to rebuild their communities. We needed stronger research partners and evaluation capacities–and a more comprehensive approach to community building and understanding of impact.
