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Community-Based Collaborating Scholar Resources

Engaged scholarship involves collaboration between university-based scholars and a wide variety of partners. Some of these partners are community-based collaborating scholars, working closely with Pitt scholars to develop and implement community-engaged research projects.

To support community-based collaborating scholars’ active participation in the research planning and implementation enterprise, Pitt offers access privileges for several research-related resources.

  • Access to University Library System resources such as online journals, eBooks, and databases, and services such as research consultations, instruction, and training. Please note, this access does not include “special borrower card privileges,” which are associated with the physical borrowing of books and hard materials from the ULS. For more information on special borrower accounts, visit: https://library.pitt.edu/how-do-i/special-borrower-account
  • Attendance at workshops offered by Pitt Research, Office of Sponsored Projects, or Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement pertinent to research planning and seeking research grants
  • Conference attendance funding may be provided by the Office of Engagement and Community Affairs to help offset the cost of co-presenting with Pitt collaborators at scholarly conferences


Who is eligible?
Individuals considered to be “community-based collaborating scholars” are engaged in scholarly or creative activity in collaboration with Pitt units or faculty.  Eligibility is assessed based on the activity’s contribution to the Pitt mission, rather than the type of organization where the individual is employed.

Community-based collaborating scholars are not currently employed or otherwise affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh (e.g., adjunct faculty, visiting scholar, or an employee of a Pitt affiliate such as UPMC) nor are they employees of another university. They must be actively collaborating with Pitt in a form of engaged scholarship as defined below:

  • Engaged Scholarship seeks to discover new knowledge through activities that collaboratively generate, exchange, or apply academic and community knowledge and practices through reciprocal partnerships among members of the University and members of the broader public. This often results in the public dissemination of new knowledge through academic publications, policy recommendations, technical reports, new forms of applied practice, co-created exhibitions and creative pieces, and joint projects that benefit the community and the university (2020, Year of Engagement).

Designation as a community-based collaborating scholar is “auditable” in the sense that there are clear tests for what activities merit access privileges:

Eligible Activity Ineligible Activity

Scholarly or creative activities performed in collaboration with member(s) of the University of Pittsburgh

  • Proposal development
  • Serving as a co-investigator on a research project
  • Supervising an independent research project.
  • Serving as a Community Advisory Board (CAB) member or equivalent such as a Scientific Advisory Board within a collaborative research structure such as Participatory dafAction Research
  • Formal mentoring role through the Office of Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Scholarly or creative activity that is wholly separate from the University of Pittsburgh or one of the following:

  • Fee-for-service user
  • Users of shared scientific facilities (e.g., NSF-funded Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center)
  • Research participants/research subjects
  • Serving as a general advisory committee member (such as those used by schools, departments, centers/institutes) outside of a collaborative research structure such as Participatory Action Research
  • Leading teaching and mentoring activities that support students’ engaged scholarship
  • Capstone mentor 
  • Thesis/dissertation committee
  • Adjunct instruction (access is addressed via that appointment, not this identity status)
  • Mentoring outside of a formal Pitt class
  • Practicum supervisor for practicums without a research component

Instances in which research-informed practice(s) are implemented in collaboration with member(s) of the University of Pittsburgh

Implementation of research-informed practice(s) wholly separate from any collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh

Serving on review committees for Pitt internal funding or award proposals that advance engaged scholarship

Uses for which the output is commercial research or commercial gain

 

How do I apply for the designation? 

Designation is gained by the university-based partner requesting a sponsored university computing account for the community-based collaborating scholar. Sponsorship is requested through the Responsibility Center (RC) where the account owner’s primary Pitt collaborator is located (see section below on duration and access).

For how long is the designation active?

Access privileges for the community-based collaborating scholars are active for the duration of the collaborative activity.  Sponsored accounts for community-based collaborating scholars, which enable access to library research databases, journals, and eBooks, adhere to the following expectations:

  • A sponsored account is only meant to exist for a limited period.  An expiration date is set at the time the account is created. The expiration date should be set to the first date that the account is no longer needed. The expiration date should not be set beyond the end of the fiscal year.
  • Account sponsors should review the accounts they sponsor to determine whether an account needs to be renewed, the account sponsor needs to be changed, or the expiration date needs to be adjusted. Account sponsors can also review their accounts at any time by logging in to My Pitt (my.pitt.edu), clicking Manage My Account in the left-hand column, and clicking Sponsored Accounts. Responsibility Center (RC) Account Administrators are responsible for reviewing and approving account renewals and other changes requested by the account sponsor. The Bulk Account Update webpage used to review and approve sponsored accounts allows account sponsors to recommended an account for renewal and provide a justification for that renewal.

Access for Community-based Collaborating Scholars is a joint initiative of the Office of Engagement & Community Affairs, Pitt Research, and University Library System. For questions or concerns: