Gender+ in Research Collective Engagementship: Citizen Science and Community-Based Research (Cohort #1)

Overview

Citizen science is the practice of involving members of the public in collecting data and participating in data monitoring programs, generally in collaboration with professional scientists and researchers, but also with community-based organizations.¹ There have been numerous calls for the collection of disaggregated data along multiple axes of identity during the current COVID-19 pandemic: calls to collect race-based data²; sex-disaggregated data³; data including Indigenous communities⁴; those who are differently-abled⁵; and those in the LTBTQI/2S community⁶; among others. Less well understood or addressed are the ways in which this kind of data collection fails to incorporate the social construction of race as a category⁷, the politics of collecting identity-disaggregated data⁸, the ways in which context can be stripped from datasets⁹, the effects of surveillance on populations and communities¹⁰, and how public citizens might be called into these activities on a voluntary basis¹¹. 

The calls to action around data collection seek to serve the various communities differently affected by COVID-19, to ensure services and funding reach them, that barriers to necessary services are addressed and lowered, and to understand and mitigate inequities exacerbated by a global public health crisis. How might citizen science operate in this space?¹² As a mechanism designed to respect accessibility, collaboration, participation, and the inclusion of multiple communities, what can we understand about the application of citizen science beyond formal data collection activities?

Research Questions: 

1.) What organizations and tools exist to engage citizens in data collection activities useful for community-based organizations / academics / government?

2.) How are the concepts of intersectionality, race as a social construct, and anti-racism engaged in citizen science?

3.) Which initiatives are specifically connected to COVID-19 in the push to collect race-based / intersectional data to inform public health and public policy initiatives?

Expectations

Over a period of 6 weeks from July 6th to August 17th, a team of 2-4 students will spend 7-10 hours each week to work collaboratively towards understanding and answering the research questions posed above. Students will not only survey the academic literature, but also organizational and government grey literature; technological interventions / apps / initiatives designed for citizen engagement in science; they will be encouraged to participate in relevant workshops; and will potentially be able to collaborate with a community organization seeking to better understand its informational goals and how data can be collected, organized, analyzed, and employed to better serve their community. Students will be asked to participate in weekly scheduled calls to ensure collaboration and accountability goals are defined and met.

Deliverables

At the end of the 6-week period, students will be asked to give a short 20-30 minute presentation to the Gender+ in Research Collective on their findings, how they relate to the defined research questions, and which opportunities they might have identified for connecting citizens with organizations or researchers seeking data. Students will be expected to produce a 7-10  page brief outlining their findings and including all relevant resources (providing their presentation in written form for future reference.) Students will also be asked to start a ‘guide’ for community organizations wishing to begin mobilizing citizen science in their work and informed by the concepts of intersectionality and evidence from other initiatives as explored throughout the research period.

The brief and guide provided by students will be made available on the Gender+ in Research Collective website and, with permission, will be disseminated to interested partners. We will work with the student group to determine the best way to amplify the work they have produced.

Academic integration:
Please note this is a not-for-credit research opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the process to explore this option.

Anti-Racism and Ethics of Engagement

The Gender+ in Research Collective and the Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) are committed to embedding anti-racism in our daily work and ongoing projects. Students are encouraged and expected to consider how they can take an anti-racist lens to the work they produce around citizen science, data collection and use, and connections between community-based organizations, academics, and government. This might include, but is not limited to, ensuring the incorporation of the ongoing and often unrecognized work of organizations advocating for justice for minorities, particularly during the pandemic; or engaging with the politics of citation in including and citing the work of non-white scholars and other researchers.

Eligibility

• Be an undergraduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2020. (Recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
• Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
• Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively 
• Prior knowledge about citizen science, gender intersectionality, and community-based data collection initiatives an asset, but not necessary

How to apply

The deadline was June 28th, 2020 @ 11.59pm PST (extended from June 26th). We are no longer accepting applications.
Successful candidates contacted by: July 1st, 2020
Short interviews by: July 3rd, 2020
Project dates: July 6th, 2020- August 17th, 2020

Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions.

About the Gender+ in Research Collective:

The Gender+ in Research Collective works to promote a community for rich dialogue in which gender and other intersections, including race, Indigeneity, class, sexuality and ability (among other intersections of identity), are considered when conducting community-based research. The Collective focuses on capacity building and providing the tools researchers need to utilize a gender+ lens. The Collective is housed within and supported by the UBC Office for Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE).

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^{1https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_science; https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/citizen-science/; https://www.citizenscience.org/about-3/values/
2https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wPWZTexf9L-RPnGgxJ08sL5tTmi71iJu/view; https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/b-c-actively-discussing-collecting-race-based-data-on-covid-19-1.5543352; https://thetyee.ca/News/2020/04/30/Race-Matters-Pandemic-Data/
3 https://globalhealth5050.org/covid19/; https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-without-gender-data-we-leave-critical-covid-19-clues-on-the-table-97110; https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-19-gender-data-resources-sarah-boyd/
4 https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/indigenous-covid-19-data-collection-1.5563433
5 https://www.casda.ca/covid-19-data-coordination-response/; https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/research-disabilities
6 https://www.hrc.org/blog/hrc-and-psb-research-release-data-on-economic-impact-of-covid-19-on-lgbtq; https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/researchers-scramble-to-inform-doctors-of-barriers-lgbtq-people-face-in-getting-covid-19-care-1.4913848; https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/lawmakers-urge-trump-administration-collect-data-lgbtq-covid-19-patients-n1211641
7 https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-its-impact-cannot-be-explained-away-through-the-prism-of-race-138046 ;
8 https://www.citylab.com/equity/2015/02/the-tragedy-of-canadas-census/385846/; https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/october-2018/the-role-of-statistics-canada-in-a-post-truth-world/
9 https://civicsoftwarefoundation.org/posts/structured-context-data-feminism; http://datafeminism.io
10 https://ccla.org/coronavirus-update-data-surveillance/
11 https://www.covidnearyou.org/ca/en-CA/
12 https://blog.ucsusa.org/science-blogger/funding-equitable-scientific-research-after-covid?_ga=2.222074577.859762065.1591292535-1839320598.1591292535}

The Gender+ in Research Collective acknowledges that we organize, research, and learn on unceded traditional  xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory. We understand that both gender and research have been used as tools of colonization on these lands, and commit to working towards disentangling gender+ research from colonialism and Indigenous genocide.

Overview

The UBC Office of Regional and International Community Engagement (UBC ORICE) in collaboration with School Health Annual Report Programme (SHARP-NGO) India, has launched a Design Research Project-Remote International Placement summer opportunity for UBC undergraduate students. The Design Research Project is a 10-week remote international Placement with SHARP NGO—one of India’s largest health networks that runs scientifically-planned health programs for school children, to create community engagement opportunities within the frameworks of design thinking /research. 

A team of 2-4 UBC students will collaborate with SHARP NGO to undertake design research* and collaboratively develop interventions and design prototype solutions to address the challenges of depression and anxiety in middle-aged school children especially during/after COVID-19 in Northern India. 

*Design research involves careful investigation of human experience and behaviour to dream up new ways to spark and distill insight. It begins with the rigorous study of the issue, of the people being served and their context and continues to build understanding and empathy through observation, prototyping possible solutions, and reflecting on the feedback from the stakeholders themselves.

Learning Objectives:

• Develop a design mindset and demonstrate associated skills to be able to break down complex problems and strategically approach them;
• Design a research project that supports sustainable development through collaborative work;
• Gain hands-on experience with empathy-building through cross-disciplinary collaboration;
• Gain a holistic understanding of the principles of international community engagement/community-engaged learning;
• Recognize the ethical responsibilities that accompany research with (rather than on) the community;

Eligibility:
Update (11/06/20): Based on the interest, we have opened up this opportunity for students from all faculties.

• Be an undergraduate student (domestic or international) at the University of British Columbia with 60 or more completed credits as of May 1st, 2020. (Recent grads are welcome to apply but priority will be given to current undergraduate students);
• Have access to a reliable internet connection and computer to collaborate with peers and attend all meetings remotely;
• Demonstrate ability to think critically and creatively to apply knowledge to SHARP NGO’s social impact;
• Prior knowledge about Design Thinking and/or Design Research is preferred but not required;
• Demonstrated interest in mental health is an asset.

Academic Integration:

*Please note this is a not-for-credit design research opportunity. If you are interested in making this a student-directed study course, please contact ubc.orice@ubc.ca to discuss the process to explore this option.

Selected Students are expected to:

• Commit 7-10 hours a week between June 22 – August 28;
• Attend interactive online pre-placement orientation with ORICE staff between June 22-26;
• Participate in weekly scheduled calls with SHARP NGO and ORICE to learn more about design thinking through a mix of live zoom session and online-learning resources for the duration of the project;
• Participate in a weekly meeting with SHARP NGO between 8-10pm due to the time difference.

Note: This is an unpaid opportunity under the tenets of mutual aid and skill-sharing to support non-profit organizations that are spread thin trying to respond to the needs of their community due to COVID-19.

How to apply

Thank you for your interest, the application deadline was June 12, 2020 11:59PM PST and we are no longer accepting applications. Accepted applicants will be contacted by mid-June 2020. Please reach out to us at ubc.orice@ubc.ca if you have any questions. 

Program Overview

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all UBC students. One to two placement spots are available.

Program Description

Meghshala is a vibrant organization located in Bangalore, India, with well over 20 young educators working collaboratively on curriculum and technology innovations to improve the education system, the effectiveness of teachers and the educational experience for children. They believe the most effective way to transform the Indian education system at scale is to empower the heart of the education system: the teachers.

Meghshala is both product (teach kit, teach app, etc.) and process (mentorship, guidance, teacher centred) focused.  They have been collecting extensive data about the use of its products, teacher feedback and school performance – and are keen to gather deeper meaning of the data to both inform their work but also to consider the impacts of their work.

The fall 2019 student or students placed with Meghshala will work with the design and implementation team to develop regionally contextualized materials to address pressing concerns in education. Concerns include preservation and transfer of knowledge of traditional saree weavers; environmental education addressing water shortages; and human-wildlife coexistence.

Students in this placement should be prepared to take initiative in understanding the organization’s intended social impacts while being embedded in its operations, innovation, and technological focus.  They should be interested in working alongside a dynamic, high-energy team to address the challenge of delivering context-relevant curricula to underserved areas.

This placement is best for students interested in processes of systematic change and the challenges of intervening and measuring impact. Interns will engage with the team on day-to-day projects related to the work that Meghshala is undertaking. For example, the 2017 UBC team worked with Meghshala on the development of an app to connect teachers and further curriculum development and support.

Program Dates

Program Costs

The costs below are per student and are yet to be fully determined, but will be within the following ranges. Possible funding available through ORICE award.

**Fees are subject to adjustment prior to offering the placement to the student.

Awards & Funding

Regional and International Service Learning Award

This $1500 award is open to eligible UBC students participating in this co-circular offering. Students from all faculties are eligible. Eligibility requirements are as follows:

• Completed 60 credits of undergraduate coursework (3rd or 4th year standing)
• Have a minimum GPA of 70% in the top 21 credits of the previous academic year. Priority will be given to students that have 75% in the top 27 credits of the previous academic year.
• Be enrolled in at least 24 credits in the current academic year or enrolled in maximum sufficient credits to satisfy graduation requirements if this is your final year.

When you apply to any eligible program, you will be automatically assessed for the Regional and International Service Learning Award. Admission to regional and international service learning programs is by application.