Who We Are
TrustScience is a community-centered program developed under the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Community Stakeholder Engagement Core at Florida State University. The Community Stakeholder Engagement Core supports meaningful relationships between researchers and community stakeholders. TrustScience builds on this focus by creating opportunities for communities, researchers, students, and organizations to connect, communicate, learn, and work together.
We work to strengthen connections between researchers, students, and the communities they serve.
Our goal is simple: build trust, help make research and science easier to understand, easier to access, and more connected to the people and communities it is meant to serve.
We believe meaningful community engagement starts with relationships. That means listening to community members, showing up consistently, creating opportunities for people to share their experiences and ideas, and helping connect community priorities with research and science.
TrustScience serves as a bridge between the community and the research world. We help translate research and science into language people can understand while also bringing community voices, questions, concerns, and priorities back to researchers.
Why TrustScience?
Research is stronger when communities are part of the conversation. Yet research and science can sometimes feel difficult to understand, disconnected from everyday life, or far removed from the communities researchers hope to serve.
TrustScience was created to help close that gap and aims to build trust in areas this may be lacking.
We believe trust grows when researchers and communities have opportunities to meet, listen to one another, learn together, and build relationships over time. Our work focuses on being present in the community - not only when a research study needs participants, but throughout the year through outreach, education, service, events, conversations, and partnerships.
We want community members to feel that they have a place in conversations about research and science, and we want researchers to better understand the people, experiences, needs, and priorities of the communities they serve.
Our Mission
Build trust in science by improving how researchers and communities communicate, connect, and work together.
Our Vision
A future where communities and researchers understand one another, community voices help shape research, and everyone has meaningful opportunities to learn about, participate in, and benefit from science.
Meet Our Team
Our Community Stakeholder Engagement team members are trusted connectors who serve as vital links between academic research and the communities we serve.
Rooted in the neighborhoods they support, these coordinators work hand-in-hand with individuals, families, and local organizations to ensure that health initiatives are not only evidence-based but also culturally relevant and community-informed.
Connect With Us
Stay connected with TrustScience @ FSU to see what we are doing in the community, learn about upcoming events, and find new ways to get involved.
Community: Get Involved!
You don't have to be a researcher to be part of the conversation about research and science.
Community members can connect with TrustScience by attending events, sharing feedback, joining conversations, learning about research, participating in outreach activities, connecting us with organizations, or simply following along with what we are doing.
Your questions, experiences, ideas, and perspectives matter. We want to hear from the communities we serve and create opportunities for those voices to be part of the conversation.
If you are interested in completing feedback in the interim to get involved, please fill out our Community Feedback survey:
If you have questions and/or want to get more involved with TrustScience you may also email us your thoughts, ideas, and/or questions at trustscience@med.fsu.edu.
Events & Upcoming Opportunities
TrustScience regularly participates in and hosts opportunities for community connection, education, service, research engagement, and student involvement.
If you would like to share details about an upcoming community event with TrustScience, please contact us at trustscience@med.fsu.edu with the information and we will follow-up ASAP!
Ready to get involved with events hosted by TrustScience? Check out our ongoing and upcoming events:
Brown Bag Series
The article is just the beginning.
Read. Question. Discuss. Translate evidence into action. Learn, share, and connect over topics that impact our communities.
In-person at Innovation Park (free parking!)
12:30-1:30pm on Oct. 6th, Nov. 3rd, and Dec. 2nd.
2010 Levy Ave
Building B, Room 3101
Register
Community Convening
We're developing a community convening designed to bring people together for meaningful conversation around research, community needs, resources, and opportunities to work together. The convening will provide space for community members, organizations, researchers, students, and partners to connect, share ideas, learn from one another, and identify opportunities for continued collaboration.
More information, including the date, location, registration, volunteer opportunities, vendor/partner opportunities, and discussion topics, will be shared as planning continues.