Community-Engaged Research Collaborative for Learning and Excellence

Located in Edison, New Jersey, EPA’s Community-Engaged Research Collaborative for Learning and Excellence (CERCLE) will help bring EPA’s science into alignment with the needs of local, underrepresented or underserved communities. The community, along with EPA, will co-produce actionable knowledge and sustainable solutions.

The applied, collaborative, and community-based research conducted through CERCLE will serve as a model and resource for addressing community challenges nationwide, including environmental justice, climate adaptation, and community resilience.

CERCLE will provide a long-term, place-based capability to combine the stated needs of local communities with EPA’s research priorities and will facilitate EPA researchers and communities to co-produce research that is designed to benefit communities, as well as contribute to scientific knowledge.

CERCLE will build the following capabilities:

• Establish and nurture long-term, collaborative, community-driven, and trusting relationships with local, underrepresented or underserved communities
• Provide a forum for communities to express their needs and for EPA to understand these needs
• Integrate community-expressed needs with EPA research efforts and support joint EPA-community research projects that are solutions-focused
  • Facilitate community involvement in the projects
  • Provide analytical laboratory capacity as needed
  • Provide field support as needed
  • Translate and communicate study findings for community use
  • Facilitate the implementation of study findings/technology, as applicable
• Conduct STEM outreach activities in local K-12 schools and universities

Contact

For questions or other inquiries about CERCLE, please email CERCLE@epa.gov.