Projects
The Digital Equity Research Center partners with academic institutions, community-based organizations, and philanthropy in in the Metropolitan New York region and around the world to produce high-quality, applied research to inform digital equity practice and policy at the local, state, and national levels. Our Center works to pursue these goals through the following three priority research areas:
Current Projects
Creating a Digital Equity Plan for the State of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension was awarded $511,216 by the New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs to lead the development of New Hampshire’s Digital Equity Plan in partnership with the National Collaborative for Digital Equity and the Digital Equity Research Center at the Metropolitan New York Library Council.
State Implementation Guide
The Digital Equity Research Center contributed research, writing, and editing for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance’s forthcoming resources for states.
Past Projects
Articulating Success for Tech Goes Home
This participatory research project co-led and co-designed by Tech Goes Home is focused on better understanding how digital inclusion organizations articulate what success looks like and how a theory of change helps them to evaluate their programs.
Introducing a Digital Equity Ecosystems Measurement Framework
This report was co-authored by the Center’s director and Dr. Rafi Santo, Principal Researcher at Telos Learning. It introduces a measurement framework to assist local coalitions in their efforts to grow and sustain healthy digital equity ecosystems.
Addressing Digital Equity and Justice in Maryland
The Digital Equity Research Center partnered with Economic Action Maryland to investigate the digital equity and justice challenges facing Maryland residents, as well as opportunities and policy recommendations to address these challenges.
Crafting a Digital Opportunities Compass
The Digital Opportunities Compass framework can be used to guide state and local digital inclusion planning at a moment of unprecedented investment in broadband infrastructure and digital equity. The framework was developed in partnership with researchers at Merit, the Quello Center at MSU, the Digital Equity Research Center, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance.
Evaluating the Digital Integrators Pilot Program
In April 2022, Centri Tech Foundation launched the Digital Integrators Pilot Program to foster community-led innovations in digital equity. The foundation awarded $195,000 to community development organizations working in five U.S. cities to connect digital skills to equitable economic development. The program was evaluated in partnership with the Digital Equity Research Center.
