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“Understanding the R-Side of the RPP”

Defined

At NNERPP, we have come to organize our conceptualization of RPPs into three “sides” representing the home organizations that typically participate in an RPP:

  • The “research-side” or “R-side” of the RPP generally refers to organizations whose main purpose is to study education. These include universities, non-profit research institutions, and research centers
  • The “practice-side” or “P-side” includes organizations whose main purpose is to administer education
  • The “Community-Side” or “C-Side” includes organizations whose main purpose is to support community endeavors, in addition to more informal community-based groups, such as families or students

 

On a “people” level, individuals on the R-side can include university-based professors, research analysts, graduate students, program managers and other university staff, and various other roles found in universities, non-profit research institutions, and research centers whose main purpose is to study education. While each of these roles and organizations differ from each other, they are likely more similar than different, especially across ways of working, timelines, incentive structures, and culture.

Examples in NNERPP

Notes About the R-Side

How does the setting on the R-side differ or matter?

Although they may seem similar at the outset given that one of their contributions to the RPP is usually to hold the research activities of the partnership, there are some key differences to RPPs that include universities versus those that include non-profit partners on the R-side. For example, the additional layer of tenure goals may impact the degree to which early career scholars at universities can fully participate in the RPP. On the other hand, the higher indirect cost rates necessary at non-profits may limit their ability to pursue grants at a smaller scale, which may be more accessible to universities. An additional consideration is the historical relationship between university and community that can reflect prior harmful experiences; this can lead to an additional layer of mistrust when universities seek to partner with the P-side or C-side and requires extra care before proceeding.

Are researchers only housed on the R-side?

In short, no. There are several examples of PhD-trained researchers working in organizations that would be considered the “P-side,” such as researchers working in internal research offices at large school districts. This is why it can be misleading or confusing to refer to RPPs as “researcher-practitioner partnerships”, given that, in reality, some may actually be more like “researcher-researcher partnerships”, if there is a researcher representing the P-side. Since researchers on the R-side and researchers on the P-side must both navigate the distinct complexities introduced by their respective home organizations, we think a focus on organizations or “sides” to the work via naming conventions is more useful.