
The Special Issue cover featuring the universities who reviewed the ARIS BI Toolkit.
Community Engagement and Research Development experts from over 15 universities reviewed the Rutger-designed ARIS Broader Impacts (BI) Toolkit in the November Special Issue of the Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (JCES). This 13-article edition dives deep into the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Broader Impacts merit criterion, showcasing the transformative and capacity building resources of the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) and its ARIS BI Toolkit.

“Where Should I Start?” Guide for the ARIS BI Toolkit, as seen on the ARIS BI Toolkit homepage.
Why This Matters
The NSF’s Broader Impacts ask a big question: “How does your research benefit society?” For many researchers, this can be a challenge to tackle.
That’s where the ARIS BI Toolkit comes in—a collection of digital resources created by Janice McDonnell (Rutgers Cooperative Extension, RUCOOL), Sage Lichtenwalner (RUCOOL), Dr. Carrie Ferraro (Rutgers Science Explorer), Liesl Hotaling (Eidos Education), and others in the ARIS leadership and network. The Toolkit helps researchers and BI professionals craft meaningful, impactful plans that go beyond the lab to engage and benefit communities.
What’s in the Special Issue?
The special issue highlights how teams from 15+ universities critiqued and validated the Toolkit’s versatility, showing it can:
- Drive institutional development in BI efforts.
- Strengthen project and proposal planning and assessment.
- Advance professional development for researchers and BI professionals
It also examines how the Toolkit serves as a robust framework for advancing research in the BI field.
“The outcomes in this journal show the robustness of the toolkit,” McDonnell shared. “We’ve poured years of work into listening to our community, piloting, refining, and creating this ARIS resource, and it’s rewarding to see its impact.”
This special issue was supported by the Engaged Scholarship Consortium (ESC), of which Rutgers University–New Brunswick is a proud member. ESC is building bridges between universities and communities to make research truly matter. Their mission fits neatly with ARIS’s work to help scientists find how their research can benefit society.
Ready to Dive In?
Explore the ARIS BI Toolkit for free: https://aris.marine.rutgers.edu/.
As part of ARIS’s mission to provide top-notch resources and training, the ARIS team will host a webinar series starting in April 2025. Learn more about ARIS and stay connected on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BlueSky, and via their newsletter: https://researchinsociety.org/.