Mission
The mission of TexCEP is to support and conduct high-quality applied research, disseminate evidence-based information and build capacity among scholars to address the nature, origins, contexts, effects and elimination of disparities in education and health.
Vision
The vision of the Texas Center for Equity Promotion (TexCEP) is to eliminate disparities in education and health among populations underserved by these systems.
Core Tenets
- Conduct assets-based and community-centered research to inform research-based policy and practice
- Build meaningful and enduring community partnerships and ensure that all research activities benefit community
- Develop and implement applied preventive interventions and practices that are research based and culturally informed
- Collaborate with adults in families, schools and communities as agents of change in supporting positive education and health outcomes
- Integrate interdisciplinarity and multiple methodologies in all aspects of research
- Maintain commitment to scientific equity in all aspects of our research
Scientific Equity
As researchers, we have a commitment to ensuring scientific equity, or a focus on equity at the core of all aspects of the research process (McNulty et al., 2019). Scientific equity calls for increased representation, accountability and engagement for the sake of producing research that is meaningful and impactful to diverse communities and particularly those who have been historically excluded in science. We value research that brings together multidisciplinary teams, collaborates in meaningful and transparent ways with community stakeholders, prioritizes community needs in study design and analysis, recognizes and builds on community strengths and disseminates research findings for social change. We are mindful of power dynamics inherent in every stage of the research process, from an examination of the actors who set the research agenda and design and carry out the study all the way through the dissemination and application of findings, with a particular interest in research that yields valuable and actionable practices, policies and/or recommendations. Scientific equity is consistent with and compliments the methodological rigor and prevention science principles that are integral components of TexCEP.