CBR Fellowships 2026, Haas Center - Gumbo Garden Food Justice Project (New Orleans, LA)
2026 HAAS COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH (CBR) FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
The Community-Based Research Fellowship supports teams of faculty, students, and community partners in conducting research that addresses community-identified needs.
Community-based research (CBR) is defined as a “partnership of students, faculty, and community members who collaboratively engage in research with the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or effecting social change” (Community-Based Research and Higher Education, Strand et al., 2004, p.3). CBR is an orientation to conducting academic research that 1) relies on cooperation and communication between all research partners; 2) validates multiple sources of knowledge; 3) promotes the use of multiple methods of discovery; 4) pursues diverse means for disseminating research findings; 5) addresses the importance of power, privilege, and positionality in research practice; and 6) purposefully promotes social action in service of a more just and sustainable world. In the ideal CBR project, academic scholars work in collaboration with community partners at every stage of the research process.
Students who are awarded fellowships are required to enroll in the spring 2026 course, Community Engaged Research - Principles, Ethics, and Design (URBANST 123B, CSRE 146B, CSRE 346B).
The CBRFP has three primary goals:
- Provide resources for community-based research teams that comprise undergraduate students, faculty, and community partners, to address community-identified needs.
- Deepen the connection between faculty and undergraduate students engaged in community-based research.
- Create a support network for undergraduate students that facilitates their research, develops their research skills, and connects them with similarly motivated peers.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Gumbo Garden Food Justice Project
A Stanford/Xavier University CBR Partnership
Summer 2026
Location: Xavier University of Louisiana, Gert Town Neighborhood
Research mentors: Christopher T. Bolden, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology and Marcia B. Henry, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biology; Clayton Hurd, Director of Community Engaged Research, Has Center for Public Service, Stanford University; Judith Ned, Senior Director, Office of Equity and Strategic Initiatives, Stanford School of Medicine
Relevant subject areas: Public Health, Health Equity, Community Health, Food Security, Nutrition & Public Health, Environmental Justice, Sustainable Urban Agriculture
Project Description:
Food insecurity remains a significant challenge in New Orleans, especially in historically under‑resourced neighborhoods like Gert Town. This Community-Based Research (CBR) fellowship invites undergraduate students to contribute to community-led solutions that advance health equity, environmental sustainability, and social justice.
Xavier University of Louisiana sits in the heart of Gert Town, a neighborhood known for its cultural richness, resilience, and deep traditions of mutual support. Through the Xavier University Community Outreach Center (XUCOC), fellowship students and mentors will collaborate with residents to strengthen sustainability efforts and expand access to healthy foods.
A central component of this work is the Gumbo Garden, a community-centered green space dedicated to growing fresh produce, promoting environmental awareness, and building neighborhood connections. Students will help co-create a sustainable model for a Gert Town Community Food Pantry, expanding access to fresh produce and supporting long-term community resilience.
Throughout the summer, fellows will engage in hands-on activities, including qualitative interviewing, collaborative problem-solving, report writing, and public presentation. Students will deepen their understanding of food justice, health equity, and the dynamics of power, privilege, and positionality while developing leadership skills in a real-world social impact setting.
This fellowship offers students the opportunity to make a tangible difference, build meaningful relationships with community members, and contribute to a project designed to continue long after the summer ends. It is not just research—it is partnership, empowerment, and collective action.
--------------------------
Student fellows are eligible for $8,500–$10,000 depending on financial need and location-based factors. Fellows are required to engage in at least 10 weeks of full-time research (35+ hours per week) during the summer quarter.
The fellowship is jointly funded by the Haas Center for Public Service and the Office of the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education (VPUE).
REQUIREMENTS
Spring Quarter
Students awarded a fellowship are required to enroll in the spring quarter course, URBANST123B/CSRE146B: Approaching Research in the Community - Design and Methods to help prepare them for their community-based field experiences. The Haas Center will also host a luncheon meetings with all community-based research teams. This meeting allows student, faculty, and community partner research team members to interact with one another, learn more about the program’s curriculum, structure, and expectations, and clarify the finer points of their CBR projects.
Summer Quarter
Students who participate in the CBRFP communicate monthly with the program administrator and student fellows to reflect on and share their research progress.
Autumn Quarter
Students present their research and field questions during a community-engaged scholarship symposium in the autumn quarter. Faculty mentors and community partners are invited to the presentations as well.
The CBRFP encourages students to present at SURPS, apply for research grants and fellowships through the Haas Center and VPUE, build upon their community-based research fellowship experience with coursework that further develops their research skills, and undertake capstone or honor thesis projects that are community-engaged. Students are also invited to visit future URBANST123/CSRE146 classes to share their success stories and challenges.
Eligibility
- Availability: This is a full-time summer research opportunity for Summer Quarter 2026. You will also be required to take a spring quarter course, and present at a fall quarter research symposium.
-
Time Commitment:
- Full-time is defined as 35+ hours per week in 10 consecutive weeks; I.e., it is the student's primary activity that quarter.
- Student athletes should confirm the impact of any awarded stipend on their athletic eligibility by contacting the Compliance Services Office prior to committing to a research project.
- Full-time VPUE Faculty/Department Grant student recipients are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, or volunteer opportunity (whether funded by Stanford or otherwise), unless their faculty mentors or program mentors have approved these arrangements.
- As a reminder, VPUE grant recipients who are planning on concurrently participating in another Stanford program should also abide by the funding and program policies of the sponsoring unit.
- Undergraduate Fellowships program participants are not permitted to engage in another full-time internship, job, or volunteer opportunity (whether funded by Stanford or otherwise), including but not limited to another Cardinal Quarter opportunity (such as the Global Studies Internship Program), an Undergraduate Research Major Grant, a Chappell Lougee Scholarship, a Beagle II Award, and a full-time departmental or faculty-grant supported research position. These opportunities require significant time commitments, and are each intended to support full-time efforts.
- Program participants may work in an additional internship, job, or volunteer position for no more than five hours per week.
Enrollment & Academic Standing
- Co-terms, who have not conferred their undergraduate degree, must be paying undergraduate (not graduate) tuition.
-
Students may not receive both academic units and a stipend for any single project activity.
Students may not be serving a suspension. - Students may not be on a Leave of Absence (LOA) while using grant funding. LOA Students may apply for funding only if they will return from leave and meet all other eligibility requirements by the beginning of the funded project.
- VPUE does not use a GPA requirement for student eligibility, nor does VPUE encourage the use of GPA as a criterion for inclusion in a research opportunity.
-
Fundamental Standard
- Students who fail to abide by the policies as set forth by Undergraduate Research, their funding department or faculty, The Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education, and Stanford University will have low priority for future Undergraduate Research funding opportunities.
- Undergraduate Research reserves the right to rescind funding at any given point and time should they be apprised of any policy violations.
- Undergraduate Research reserves the right to rescind funding in the event of unaddressed safety or ethics concerns.Funds may not be used to directly support honors thesis research. Honors students should seek funding through UAR’s Student Grants Program.
The Community-Based Research Fellowship is jointly supported by both VPUE and the Cardinal Quarter Program. As such, the Community-Based Research Fellowship adheres to all policies and eligibility requirements outlined by VPUE and Cardinal Quarter:
• VPUE's Eligibility Requirements for All Applicants
• Information on stipends and grants
• Cardinal Quarter's full policies and eligibility requirements
