College of Education and Human Development

Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement

Equitable, applicable research

Translational Research

Leading collaborative research to improve children, families, and communities. Serving internal University of Minnesota faculty and staff and external academic institutions, nonprofits, foundations, and community organizations.

Our specializations

    If you need help with grantwriting...

    Our team has expertise in grant writing, shepherding proposals from ideation to submission. We help collaborators strengthen their writing, conceptualize research plans, and create compelling arguments for their ideas.   

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    If you need help with project ideation… 

    We have experienced investigators who can guide your areas of curiosity into concrete research questions.  We work with collaborators to brainstorm potential research topics, respond to policy and practice needs, and plan a research agenda to match their goals.  

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    If you need help with research design...

    We work with partners to develop high-quality, equity-centered research designs tailored to collaborators’ questions and contexts. Whether you're launching a pilot study or planning something large-scale, we can help identify appropriate methods, measures, and analytical strategies to get your project going.  

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    If you need help with synthesizing literature...

    Our team of experts has extensive training in efficiently finding, reviewing, and crafting narratives and arguments based on academic literature. We work with our collaborators to identify and develop the scope, guiding question(s), intended audience, and writing format and style to best meet their goals.  

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    If you need project coordination or implementation support… 

    We have a strong team of coordinators and research assistants who are well versed in all areas of protocol implementation including development of standard operating procedures, participant recruitment and retention, data collection and management, as well as facilitating IRB processes and other regulatory requirements. Our team has experience implementing a wide range of protocols from pilot feasibility projects to large scale randomized control trials. 

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    If you need help with data collection… 

    Our team of coordinators and research assistants are skilled in all types of data collection, including both qualitative and quantitative. We have experience using multiple survey tools such as Qualtrics, REDCap and Google Forms, among other softwares used to collect performance-based measures. Additionally, we assist with focus groups and interviews, as well as provide support to code qualitative data.  

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    If you need help with data analysis...

    We provide advanced data analytic services to support you across the full continuum, from early data management and measurement development to predictive growth modeling, equity gap analysis, program evaluation, dashboard development, and strategic logic modeling. Our team helps you identify the most appropriate analytic strategies, ensure rigorous and equitable use of data, and translate complex findings into clear, actionable insights. 

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    If you need help with testing the effects of your tool or resource…

    We run comprehensive studies that test the effects of existing interventions, resources, or professional development opportunities on key outcome groups, such as teachers, students, administrators, families and communities.    

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    If you need help sharing your findings with a larger audience…

    We can support you in effectively disseminating research findings with the right audiences in ways that maximize impact, accessibility, and engagement. Our investigators have experience sharing their findings, translating evidence into practice, and promoting the uptake of interventions and policies by leveraging diverse methods and engaging interested parties.  

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    If you need help with participatory research… 

    We specialize in collaborative approaches that center community voices throughout the research process. From co-developing questions to sharing findings, we help build partnerships rooted in trust, shared goals, and mutual learning. 

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    Our experts are leading research in projects on...

      Supporting school mental health systems in Minnesota

      This brief provides a current snapshot of Minnesota’s school mental health systems serving students, and offers recommendations for strengthening the policies and processes that support children and youth's well-being and mental health.

      Meet our experts

      Marci Exsted Marci Exsted

      Community Participatory Research Criminal Legal System Issues Access and Equity Qualitative Methods

      David Quinn David Quinn

      • Rodney S. Wallace Associate Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
      • dquinn@umn.edu

      David M. Quinn is Rodney S. Wallace Associate Professor for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development at the University of Minnesota.

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