MSU Extension Extension Health Research

Researchers can look to MSU Extension professionals to assist in the recruitment of human subjects and participate directly in externally funded research by informing needs assessments, disseminating research or clinical findings, developing interventions, and implementing and evaluating health programs delivered to underserved audiences.

MSU Extension educators can contribute to grant writing teams or serve as time-limited, grant-supported research staff. Some benefits of this partnership include:

• Salary savings and research dollars are mutually beneficial through this university partnership.
• Community-based research efforts enhance scholarship and benefit engaged universities that seek competitive funding. Communities can significantly impact research findings, adding to the generalizability of social research studies, especially those needed in understanding the social determinants of health.

Speed Meetings

The MSU Model of Health Extension strategies include using an innovative approach to create partnerships and to educate researchers and faculty on Extension’s history, infrastructure, and existing health programs.

A primary objective of the speed meeting is to expose university researchers to the breadth and depth of Extension health-related programs. Speed meetings have taken place on the main university campus, and have included up to eight additional remote locations for community-based public health scientists housed at clinical sites and university community campuses.

Speed meetings are typically a two-hour working lunch with up to ten, nine-minute presentations by a variety of Extension educators highlighting program need, target audience, educational objectives, outcomes, and potential future research connections. Presenters have seven minutes to speak on their health program topic and two minutes to answer questions before the next speaker begins. There is optional additional time with presenters for one-on-one conversations after the presentations to further connections. In the past, if Extension and researchers shared an interest, they would set up future meetings to discuss potential grant proposals.

Eschbach, C., Carter, E., Newkirk, C., Tiret, H., Millet, M., Cronk, L., & Dwyer, J. (2018). Using speed meetings to connect Extension experts with university health researchers. Journal of Extension, 56(4). Article 4IAW3. https://joe.org/joe/2018august/iw3.php