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Community-Based Research

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Community-based researchers working in vegetable garden.

Community-Based Research

  • Welcome
  • For The Community
  • For Students
    • Student Application Process
  • For Faculty
  • CBR Modules
  • Contact Us
  • Celebration of Research
TRENTU.CA / Community-Based Research / For Students / Student Application Process

Student Application Process

Student How-To: Community-Based Research in the Student Experience Portal

Community-Based Research deliverables will now be completed using the Student Experience Portal! 

For Capstone Students

Undergraduate students can sign-up for one of our three 4000-level courses where every student in that course completes a community-based research project, either individually or in teams. The structure of these courses, including any lectures or seminars, is focused towards community based research. If you are enrolled in a capstone course, you do not need to submit a CBR Student Application. In September, you will be introduced to the Student Experience Portal and begin your CBR Steps during the course - see below for instructions. 

For Independent Students 

To get set up with a community-based research project, follow these steps:

  1. Search: To browse Community-Based Research Opportunities, visit Available Projects or the Experiential Catalogue.
  2. Apply: Contact one of our staff or complete the STUDENT APPLICATION FORM.
  3. Interview: Once we receive your application, someone will be in touch to arrange an interview with the hosting organization/group/employer and faculty.
  4. Start: If a successful match is made, do a celebration dance then begin to refine the research questions and lay out a project plan that everyone can agree to. You will begin your CBR steps in the SEP beginning with Step 4. 

How to use the Experiential Catalogue

To visit the experiential catalogue, visit trentu.ca/sep and click Experiential Catalogue. 

Screenshot of the main page of Experiential Catalogue.

To filter your search results, click the black circle with 3 white lines on the right. 

Screenshot of the experiential catalogue with the filters sidebar open.

Scroll down and click to turn on the Community-Based Research filter. 

Screenshot of the experiential catalogue with the filters sidebar open and Community-Based Research filter turned on.

The opportunities with numbers beside them are our currently available projects. You can also see currently available courses. 

Screenshot of 3 rows of available Community-Based Research opportunities and courses.

To view the details of a specific opportunity, click to expand it. 

Screenshot of a CBR opportunity expanded with all project details.


Accessing the SEP: 

Log in to trentu.ca/sep using your student email and password. Click on Experiential Education on the left-hand side of the screen. 

Screenshot of the Student login screen of the Student Experience Portal. One red arrow points to the Student heading in navigation and a second arrow points to "login".

Screenshot of the student dashboard in the student experience portal with a red arrow pointing to "Experiential Education" on the navigation panel to the left of the screen.

Navigating to your course: 

On the right panel, you will see a list of your Current Experiences. Select your CBR course. Alternatively, you can click “Current Experiences” and select your CBR course from there.  

Screenshot of the student's experiential education dashboard with red arrows pointing to "Current Experiences" and an example of a CBR course on the right side of the screen.

Screenshot of the Current Experiences screen with a red arrow pointing to a CBR course.

Step 1:

You will be brought to your Student Workflow, which contains all the steps you need to complete for your CBR workflow. 

Note: If you are already matched to a project, you will skip steps 1-3 and begin at step 4 in the document. CBR staff will manually place you at this step in the workflow. 

The first step is to Select Research Opportunities. To browse available research opportunities and express your interest in your top 3 choices, click “Search Opportunities”. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 1: Select Research Opportunities. There is a red arrow pointing to "Search Opportunities".

You will be able to view all CBR opportunities applicable to your course. Click “View” for more information on a research project. 

Screenshot of the "Search Community-Based Research Opportunities" with a red arrow pointing towards "View" on an opportunity.

Read through the project’s description. If you are interested in the opportunity, you can click “Show Interest”. You can do this for up to three research projects. 

Screenshot of an example of an expanded opportunity. This screenshot contains information about the project "#4944 50% LocalFood 2030 Economic Impact & Jobs Report"

Screenshot of an example of an expanded opportunity with a red arrow pointing to "Show Interest".

Once you have clicked “Show Interest” you will have another screen where you will need to click the checkboxes to indicate you are “Interested”, and then click “Submit”. You may show interest for up to 3 CBR opportunities. 

Screenshot of an example of the Show Interest screen with the "Interest" box checked and a red arrow pointing towards the checkbox, and another pointed towards"Submit".

Once TCRC has received your expression of interest, we will manually progress you to the next step in the workflow. Once you have been approved, you will go back to your steps and click “Submit Rankings” to rank your projects of interest by preference. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 1: Select Research Opportunities. There is a red arrow pointing to "Search Opportunities".

On the right, there is a box where you will be able to rank your projects of interest, with 1 being the project you would like to do most, 2 being your second choice, and 3 being your third choice. Once you are finished ranking, you can click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the "Submit Student Rankings" screen with a red arrow pointing towards the ranking box, where a student can select 1, 2, or 3. Another red arrow points towards "Submit".

Step 2: 

Click on “Answer Questionnaire” to complete your CBR Student Application.

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 2: CBR Student Opportunities. There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Screenshot of the instructions on the CBR Student Application, which reads: "Please complete the following application to be considered for a Community-Based Research Project".

When you are finished with your application, click “Submit”.

Screenshot of the end of the CBR Student Application with an arrow pointing to "Submit".

Step 3: 

Once we have received your application, we will send your resume and cover letter to the host organization for your project of interest. TCRC will reach out to schedule a matching meeting. If the matching meeting is successful, we will manually place you with your project and give permissions for you to move forward to the next step. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 3: Preparing for your CBR experience & matching meeting.

Step 4: 

Once you are matched, you will need to fill out some mandatory Risk Management Paperwork. Click “Submit” to view the requirements. You will be required to upload some training certificates as part of this package, which you will complete on Blackboard. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 4: Required Risk Management Paperwork. There is a red arrow pointing to "Submit".

Screenshot of the student view of the risk management paperwork when they click "Submit" to begin filling it out.

Once you have read and agreed to the necessary forms and uploaded your training certificates, you can click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the end of the risk management form with a red arrow pointing to "Submit"'.

Step 5:

You will be expected to complete a Project Agreement, which acts as a social contract between you, your host organization, your faculty supervisor, and TCRC. This Project Agreement is signed by all parties. Once it is completed and signed, you can upload the form by clicking “Answer Questionnaire”. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 5: Project Agreement.  There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Screenshot of the project agreement submission with a red arrow pointing towards "Upload New File" and another red arrow pointing at "Submit".

At this point, you are ready to begin your research!

Step 6:

A CBR project has two main deliverables: a research poster, and a final report. In March, a draft copy of your research poster will be due for your faculty supervisor, host organization, and TCRC to review. 

To submit the draft research poster, go to step 6 in your course on the Student Experience Portal and select “Answer Questionnaire”.

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 6: Research Poster (Draft).  There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Please upload your draft poster as a Powerpoint slide using “Upload New File” so we can provide feedback for your final version. When you have uploaded the version you want to hand in, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the draft poster submission with a red arrow pointing towards "Upload New File" and another red arrow pointing at "Submit".

Please allow some time for review of your first draft before you are given permissions for Step 7.

Step 7: 

To submit the final research poster, go to step 7 in your course and select “Answer Questionnaire”.

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 7: Research Poster (Final).  There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Please upload your final poster as a PDF or JPG image using “Upload New File”. When you have uploaded the version you want to hand in, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the final poster submission with a red arrow pointing towards "Upload New File" and another red arrow pointing at "Submit".

Step 8: 

In early April, a draft copy of your research paper will be due for your faculty supervisor, host organization, and TCRC to review. 

To submit the draft research paper, go to step 8 in your course on the Student Experience Portal and select “Answer Questionnaire”.

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 8: Research Paper (Draft).  There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Please upload your draft paper as a Word doc using “Upload New File” so we can provide feedback for your final version. When you have uploaded the version you want to hand in, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the draft paper submission with a red arrow pointing towards "Upload New File" and another red arrow pointing at "Submit".

Please allow some time for review of your first draft before you are given permissions for Step 9.

Step 9 

To submit the final research paper, go to step 9 in your course and select “Answer Questionnaire”.

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 9: Research Paper (Final).  There is a red arrow pointing to "Answer Questionnaire".

Please upload your final paper as a PDF using “Upload New File”. When you have uploaded the version you want to hand in, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the final paper submission with a red arrow pointing towards "Upload New File" and another red arrow pointing at "Submit".

Congratulations, you have completed your research! There are two more things we will ask you to do prior to the completion of your course. 

Step 10

We ask that you take some time to fill out the CBR Student Survey.  To do so, click “Submit” and respond to the required questions. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 10: CBR Student Survey.  There is a red arrow pointing to "Submit".

Screenshot of the CBR student survey screen.

Once you have completed your CBR Student Survey, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the end of the CBR student survey with a red arrow pointing at "Submit".

Step 11

Lastly, ensure that you submit the number of hours you completed to finish this course by clicking “Submit”. 

Screenshot of the CBR course from student view. The student is on Step 11: Track Hours.  There is a red arrow pointing to "Submit".

If you took a half-credit CBR course, you will have completed 110 hours, and if you took a full-credit course, you will have completed 220 hours. Please see an example of how to fill out your hours below. When you are done, click “Submit”. 

Screenshot showing a filled out track hours step that has the number of hours, date completed, and description. The descrpition says "I completed a full credit CBR course". There is a red arrow pointing to "Submit".

You have officially completed your CBR course! Below are some screenshots of how your Steps will look when you have completed a course. 

Screenshot of a completed student CBR module.

  • Student Application Form
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  • Available Projects
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  • Experiential Learning
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