CERP3 contributors: Rachel Ruggirello.
Ruggirello, R., Day, E., Bontrager, B., & Wright, K. (2026, April).
The connective tissue of partnership: Understanding university-based brokers in
collaborative education research (A NNERPP University Brokers Subnetwork
research brief). https://doi.org/10.25613/HA8B-5G82
The Subnetwork identified a significant evolution in the role of brokers and their engagement in activities that fall outside the current framework used to represent this work. University brokers are no longer just “matchmakers.” They are increasingly required to provide intellectual and financial leadership, often serving as PIs or Co-PIs to ensure project stability when faculty or district leadership changes. The ability to be responsive in shifting sociopolitical contexts speaks to the significant impact of boundary-crossing work, such as meeting in person with district partners, on the resiliency of the partnership. Despite devastating funding cuts in early 2025, brokers report innovative approaches to continuing the work during a crisis. Brokers urge universities to continue to support these efforts, despite the impending scarcity of resources, by protecting the limited funds available to continue essential brokering efforts necessary for engaging in high-quality research in the service of educational transformation. Brokering is the connective tissue that enables research to have a life beyond a journal. Without a dedicated workforce to manage the demands of brokering, university- community partnerships risk becoming transactional rather than transformational.