MARCA

Memphis Applied Research and Community Action Institute (MARCA) is a new community development-focused research and training network based in the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Memphis. The mission of MARCA is to conduct interdisciplinary research with community partners to advance knowledge on urban conditions, development, and resident well-being in the Midsouth.

“Ask MARCA” provides an entry point for residents, neighborhood groups, organizations, and others in need of research support. Queries related to a place-based challenge can be submitted to the Ask MARCA student-faculty research team. The team collaborates with community members to identify, analyze, and translate data in support of local advocacy efforts.

Some examples include:

• A community development corporation is launching a new initiative and seeks best-practice research to inform its approach, including insights from other cities that have successfully implemented similar initiatives and the challenges they encountered during grant applications.
• A block club that is having difficulties with illegal dumping and wants to make a data-informed case to the Mayor's Office for clean-up and enforcement.
• A health nonprofit needs to better understand the prevalence of diabetes in various zip codes in Shelby County.

How to reach out to Ask MARCA

Complete the Ask MARCA Request Form or send an email to marcainfo@memphis.edu. A MARCA team member will follow up with a phone call to help us better understand the research needs and assess the feasibility of the request. 

What makes a good Ask MARCA project

• The request aligns with faculty expertise to support the project and is expected to take no more than 60-70 hours to complete.
• The project will produce materials that have a tangible use to the requester (e.g., advocacy, grant application, etc.).
• The Ask MARCA team has the capacity to complete the work in a timely manner.
• Final products can be shared on the Institute's website.