What are the different ways sustained partnerships get started?

Research-practice partnerships begin in a variety of ways. A mutual commitment to a longer-term partnership provides the catalyst for getting started. Often, partnerships begin with each party agreeing to work together on an initial project in which they can garner a “quick win” as they establish ways of working together—for example, a synthesis of relevant existing research. Structurally, there are several ways to get started, including: 1) a researcher-initiated partnership with a single practitioner or consortium of partners that share interest in a set of research questions; 2) an agency-initiated partnership, usually initiated through an RFP process to evaluate a specific program intervention or to address a particular problem of practice; and 3) a research center collaboration with a government entity (e.g., state agency or county department) as part of an ongoing research agenda.