Save the date: The 9th annual Community Engaged Scholarship Forum takes place Tuesday, Mar. 2, 2027.
Each year, Pitt elevates, celebrates, and reflects on collective approaches to community-engaged scholarship at the University at the annual Community Engaged Scholarship Forum (CESF). CESF provides an opportunity for faculty, students, staff, and community members to present their community-engaged work, discover new avenues of partnership, network with those who do similar work, and celebrate Pitt's commitment to community engagement.
CESF 2027: Rooted in Practice
The ethos of community-engaged research and teaching have always been rooted in co-creation and community voice. CESF 2027 asks what it takes to honor that ethos structurally, by designing institutions as genuine knowledge partners, embedding community knowledge into lasting roles that sustain our work long after the grant cycle ends.
More details on featured speakers, sessions, and how to register will be available soon. We hope you'll join us on Mar. 2, 2027 for this engaging, full-day event!
Call for Nominations and Proposals
2027 Partnerships of Distinction
Submission Deadline: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026
The Award for Partnerships of Distinction annually recognizes outstanding partnerships that are exemplars of community engagement. Up to three awardees may be chosen annually. Each award consists of a $2,000 operating grant to support partnership activities. All awardees are honored publicly. The award will be conferred during the University’s Community Engaged Scholarship Forum on March 2, 2027. Submit a nomination for the 2027 Partnerships of Distinction Awards.
2027 CESF Collaboration Champion Award
Submission Deadline: Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
The CESF Collaboration Champion Award is presented by CESF to recognize a member of the University of Pittsburgh community or a community partner who has made significant contributions to the University of Pittsburgh’s culture of collaboration, further sustaining and supporting the institution’s commitment to strengthening communities through teamed work. The Award is open to any member of the greater Pittsburgh region and is not limited to the University of Pittsburgh community. Submit a nomination for the CESF Collaboration Champion Award.
2027 Tracy Soska and John Wilds Outreach and Engagement Leadership Award
Submission Deadline: Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
The Tracy Soska and John Wilds Outreach and Engagement Leadership Award is presented by CESF to honor a faculty member or staff engagement professional who serves the University of Pittsburgh through their outstanding dedication to University-community connections. Through their contributions, the awardee strengthens our institution’s knowledge, understanding, practice, and reflection on the opportunities of community-based collaboration. Nominees must have been employed by the University of Pittsburgh for at least five (5) years from award conferral (on or before March 2, 2021). Submit a nomination for the Soska and Wilds Award.
2027 Poster Presentations
Submission Deadline: Friday, Jan. 15, 2027
While the individual efforts of teams and communities have resulted in shining examples of what is possible through engaged scholarship, our society requires increasingly interconnected approaches to problem solving that result in partnerships advancing multiple aspects of community resilience. The Forum invites you to join us to explore opportunities to work across organizations, disciplines, and sets of solutions that mobilize previously disconnected efforts in creative ways. Submit a poster presentation proposal.