In 2022, Research in Action published the nation’s first comprehensive state-level report on the epidemic of missing and murdered Black women and girls. This led to the creation of the nation’s first Office of Missing and Murdered Black Women and Girls (MMBWG) and the introduction of federal legislation in 2023. Beginning in 2025, RIA will lead a five-year project to develop evaluation tools and test a shared structure between the state and a community organization to address missing and murdered Black women and girls.

Research in Action is partnering with Constellation Lab (CoLab) to lead a study on solutions to poverty to enable communities to thrive. Working with Co-Lab staff and community organizations, RIA is collaborating with youth and families with lived experiences of poverty to shift investments from philanthropy to align with the visions of directly impacted communities and end intergenerational poverty?

In 2021, the Bush Foundation awarded $100 million to seed two community trust funds for Black and Indigenous individuals facing wealth disparities due to historic racial injustices. Nexus Community Partners is responsible for distributing $50 million to Black individuals living in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Research in Action is working with Nexus to provide guidance on decolonizing evaluations processes to the group’s Advisory Committee, as well as create and execute an Evaluation Plan for the Community Trust Fund.

The Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB) Department at the City of Minneapolis is partnering with Research in Action to gain insights into the City departments strengths, identify areas hindering progress, and make recommendations for improving both operational processes and workplace culture to advance racial equity work across the enterprise.

The Minnesota Integrated Care for Early Childhood Initiative (MN-ICECI) is a community-driven effort aimed at enhancing health services for African American children aged 0-3 and their families. In 2023, the Minnesota Department of Health partnered with The Improve Group and Research in Action to design and implement the evaluation plan.