Whether you call your work Community Engaged Research (CEnR), Community Engaged Scholarship (CES), Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), or Participatory Action Research (PAR), you know that the most impactful knowledge is created with communities, not just on or for them.
While terminology varies across academic disciplines and sectors, these approaches share a common foundation with many forms of participatory sciences: shared governance, reciprocal benefits, methodological rigor, and a commitment to actionable, community-centered outcomes.
As we prepare for CAPS 2027 in Louisville, Kentucky (May 17–21, 2027), the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences (AAPS) is intentionally creating space to bridge these traditions. If your work lives at the intersection of academic inquiry and community priorities, CAPS 2027 is designed for you.
At CAPS you can…
1. Explore and Deepen Participatory Models & Methods. CAPS intentionally reaches across disciplines and domains where participatory methodologies have rapidly evolved, from public health and environmental justice to urban planning and social sciences. The talks, interactive workshops, and technical sessions include topics such as ethical engagement, equitable budgeting, shared governance, trauma-informed methodologies, and data sovereignty. Discover how practitioners in other fields tackle shared challenges like power dynamics, sustaining long-term community partnerships, and navigating IRB approval for non-traditional research.
2. Discover Publication Outlets & Institutional Recognition. Publishing and securing academic recognition for engaged scholarship can present unique institutional hurdles. CAPS provides pathways to elevate and legitimize your work through, connect with journal editors and editorial board members—including those from AAPS’s peer-reviewed journal, Citizen Science: Theory and Practice (CSTP), as well as allied interdisciplinary journals. Explore avenues for publishing not only traditional research findings, but also methodological innovations, ethical frameworks, and “lessons learned” case studies. Deepen discussions with peers on how to frame this work for tenure, promotion, grant applications, and institutional review boards.
3. Build Cross-Sector Networks & Strategic Partnerships. Community engaged work thrives on boundary-spanning networks. CAPS brings together university faculty, community organizers, boundary spanners, federal agency leaders, and funding partners under one roof. At CAPS 2027, you can. Find collaborators who share your commitment to equity and community-driven solutions. Engage with funders interested in supporting participatory and community-engaged models. Connect with colleagues at host institutions like the University of Louisville and regional organizations advancing health equity, environmental justice, and civic science.
Share Your Work & Shape the Field
Whether you have groundbreaking research findings, a newly launched pilot, or insights from navigating community-academic partnerships, we want to hear your voice in Louisville!
CAPS 2027 offers multiple session formats tailored to your submission goals:
- Organized Sessions (Symposia, Workshops, or Collaborative Sessions): Propose cohesive panels or interactive, hands-on learning sessions.
- Talk Sessions & Posters: Present research findings, emerging projects, or candid “stories of lessons learned.”
Join Us in Louisville for CAPS 2027!
- Dates: May 17–21, 2027
- Location: Louisville, Kentucky
- Details & Calls for Submissions: CAPS 2027 Conference Page
Equitable Participation & Support
AAPS is dedicated to ensuring CAPS is accessible to community leaders, students, and practitioners through reduced ticket rates, volunteer opportunities, and registration/travel stipends.
