University & Research Institution Collaboration

Partnership opportunities for universities and research institutions contributing to domestic violence research.

Academia Collaboration

Research Themes

Academic partnerships can support evidence generation, program refinement, and policy development across the domestic violence response ecosystem. The following research themes are commonly aligned with multi-agency priorities and operational needs.

Systems and Service Delivery

• Analysis of service pathways, referral patterns, and bottlenecks in multi-agency coordination.
• Evaluation of co-location, mobile advocacy, and virtual coordination models across agencies.
• Assessment of inter-agency communication protocols and their impact on response timelines.
• Mapping of regional service coverage, duplication, and gaps in the support network.

Policy, Governance, and Accountability

• Comparative analysis of regional and organizational policies related to domestic violence response.
• Governance structures for cross-agency task forces, working groups, and coalitions.
• Implementation fidelity for memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and joint operating procedures.
• Monitoring and evaluation frameworks for coalition-level strategies.

Program Design and Outcomes

• Outcome evaluations of specific interventions (e.g., legal advocacy, housing stabilization, economic supports).
• Cost-effectiveness and resource utilization studies for multi-agency initiatives.
• Longitudinal tracking of program participation patterns using de-identified, aggregated data.
• Implementation research on new pilot models and innovation projects.

Workforce and Organizational Capacity

• Role clarity, workload analysis, and collaboration patterns among staff across partner agencies.
• Training effectiveness studies, including cross-training between sectors (legal, health, housing, social services).
• Organizational readiness and change management processes for adopting new coordination tools.
• Leadership, supervision, and cross-agency decision-making models.

Access to Non-Sensitive Aggregated Data

Collaboration with academic partners often involves access to non-sensitive, aggregated information that supports research while protecting confidentiality and respecting agency policies.

Typical Data Categories

• Service utilization metrics (counts, trends, and proportions without personal identifiers).
• Demographic distributions at aggregate levels where re-identification risk is minimized.
• Program participation summaries by service type, time period, and broad region.
• System-level performance indicators, such as referral completion rates and time-to-service.

Data Governance Considerations

• Use of written data use agreements (DUAs) or addenda to MOUs describing:
  • Scope of permissible uses and analyses.
  • Data elements, formats, and transfer methods.
  • Retention, storage, and disposal expectations.
  • Publication, dissemination, and acknowledgment practices.
• Preference for de-identified, aggregated datasets with clear documentation of variables.
• Use of tiered access models, where more granular data require additional review and approvals.
• Alignment with any existing regional data-sharing frameworks and coalition policies.

Operational Steps for Data Collaboration

• Define research questions that can be addressed with aggregated data prior to any transfer.
• Develop a data specification sheet listing variables, timeframes, and aggregation rules.
• Designate data stewards within agencies who coordinate extraction and quality checks.
• Agree on regular feedback loops so findings can inform program and policy decisions.

Student Placements & Internships

Structured placements and internships enable academic institutions to align learning objectives with the operational needs of domestic violence organizations and partner agencies.

Placement Models

• Single-agency placement: Students embedded within one organization with defined projects and supervision.
• Rotational placement: Students rotate across multiple agencies to understand system dynamics and coordination points.
• Consortium-based placement: A coordinated model where a group of agencies shares supervision, training, and project oversight.
• Remote or hybrid placement: Focused on data analysis, literature reviews, resource mapping, or policy research.

Operational Components

• Formal agreements between the academic institution and host agency outlining:
  • Scope of duties and project deliverables.
  • Supervision structures and points of contact.
  • Schedule, duration, and modality (in-person, remote, hybrid).
  • Orientation, training, and documentation requirements.
• Clear role descriptions that distinguish student tasks from staff responsibilities.
• Coordination with coalition or network leads when placements span multiple agencies.
• End-of-placement reporting, including products such as briefs, presentations, or tools.

Priority Placement Activities

• Program evaluation support using non-sensitive datasets and document review.
• Mapping of regional services, referral options, and cross-sector resources.
• Support for grant reporting, environmental scans, and literature synthesis.
• Development of internal tools, checklists, or templates aligned with agency protocols.

Community Research Partnerships

Community research partnerships with academic institutions can be structured to support regional coordination, fill evidence gaps, and align with coalition priorities.

Partnership Structures

• Advisory groups: Multi-agency partners provide input on research questions, methods, and interpretation.
• Co-led projects: Academic and agency leads share responsibility for design, implementation, and dissemination.
• Embedded researchers: Researchers work within coalitions or agencies to support ongoing inquiry and rapid feedback.
• Regional learning collaboratives: Multiple communities participate in parallel projects with common tools and metrics.

Alignment with Community and Coalition Priorities

• Use existing strategic plans, regional assessments, and coalition goals to define research focus areas.
• Sequence research activities so they support current or planned initiatives rather than parallel, disconnected projects.
• Agree on how findings will be communicated to agency leadership, funders, and community stakeholders.
• Integrate research timelines with funding cycles and reporting requirements where feasible.

Governance and Decision-Making

• Establish a small steering group or research subcommittee with representatives from:
  • Academic partners.
  • Core domestic violence service providers.
  • Relevant cross-sector agencies (e.g., housing, health, legal, child welfare) as appropriate.
• Clarify processes for:
  • Review and approval of research proposals.
  • Data access and use requests.
  • Conflict resolution and scope changes.
  • Authorship, acknowledgment, and branding decisions.
• Schedule regular review points to assess progress and adjust methods or timelines.

Translation and Use of Findings

• Develop concise products (briefs, dashboards, key point summaries) tailored to agency leadership, funders, and operational teams.
• Link findings to existing or planned policy reviews, training curricula, and protocol updates.
• Capture lessons learned on partnerships themselves to improve future academic collaborations.
• Document reproducible methods and tools that can be adapted in other regions.

Recommended Articles

• Partnership Eligibility and Selection Criteria
• Coalition Governance and Coordination Frameworks
• Cross-Agency Data-Sharing Protocols
• Collaborative Funding and Resource Alignment Models
• Templates for MOUs and Academic Partnership Agreements