Abstract

The Rural New York Initiative (RNYI) is an effort to further enhance the Department of Development Sociology's engagement with researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders around New York State and provide critical and up-to-date information on rural New York people and communities, establishing the department as a key source of social scientific research-based information on rural New York.

Issue

In the Department of Development Sociology, the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and beyond, there are many research programs focused on issues relevant to rural New York State. The RNYI initiative serves to integrate various research and outreach efforts, and connect with key policy makers and stake holds around the state. The RNYI will also strengthen intra-departmental synergies and collaborations, and provide institutional and technical resources to support the Department of Development Sociology's applied research efforts focused on rural New York. Networking with a broad range of researchers, institutes, and stakeholders across New York State will build and sustain a broad inter-institutional dialogue about key issue areas, as well as a means to disseminate relevant rural New York-based work.

Response

With regard to enhancing integrated research and collaborations among Development Sociology and other CALS faculty, as well as to identify and strategize around issues currently facing rural New York State, we are engaging in an initiative called the "Rural Vision Project." This effort, in collaboration with Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI), includes our current work with the Empire State Poll, Rural Research Roundtables, a "Future of Rural New York" seminar series, a CALS units panel on "successfully combining research and outreach," working in concert with the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources, as well as maintaining and updating our new website which offers current research and policy briefs on relevant New York State topics. We have divided our rural New York State departmental research into four broad thematic areas: (a) community and economic development; (b) the changing structure of agriculture and food systems; (c) environment and society, and; (d) poverty and social inequality.

Impact

The RNYI is still in its initial stages so impacts may be difficult to measure at this point. However, we have created and strengthened some key partnerships around campus and the state of New York connections which will certainly produce tangible results in the months to come. Our goals are to further strengthen these linkages, thereby creating a dialogue about key issues, and focusing our research and outreach efforts accordingly.

Funding Sources

• Federal Formula Funds - Extension (e.g., Smith Lever, RREA)
• Polson Institute

Collaborators

• Community and Rural Development Institute (CaRDI)

Key Personnel

• Robin Blakely, Department of Development Sociology, Cornell University