Community Forestry Research Fellowship: Ten Year Assessment and Future Prospects

Abstract

The Community Forestry Research Fellowship was founded in 1996 with the aim of “building the field of community forestry” as a legitimate field of academic inquiry. The Ford Foundation financed this new program to provide opportunities for universities and graduate students to engage in applied, participatory research in community forestry in the United States. The program’s strategy was to provide funding directly to graduate students, who would in turn identify and involve community partners and university faculty in research meaningful to all. Over the ten years that the program has been in existence it has supported 78 fellows from 25 institutions in research conducted in 26 states. Some communities have been involved with numerous students, leading to sustained interaction with the program. The program has evolved with respect to program structure, scope, and strategy. A major effort has been made to diversify the student population with respect to racial, ethnic, and cultural background, including development of an undergraduate program serving Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Moreover, program focus has broadened to address natural resource issues in both rural and urban settings. Having recently completed a ten year external assessment, the program is now undergoing intensive discussion of goals, objectives and strategies. The program is exploring ways to facilitate long-term university-community partnerships in order to build community capacity and resilience. It also aspires to improve understanding within the academy of the complexities of rural community development and natural resource management. This paper describes the program, shares results of the ten year assessment, and considers the program’s future prospects. It discusses more generally the challenges of program development and maintenance, securing funding, and dealing with the shifting priorities of funders.