There are experts who study mathematical algorithms for matchmaking dating apps and use surveys to predict interpersonal chemistry between humans based on profile pics and awkward questionnaires. It’s brilliant and very complicated as you might expect.

What if we had a matchmaking app that will ‘match’ academics with community-identified needs and organizations in the Richmond metropolitan area? It’s just like eHarmony, but for research. Using a smartphone, community members can voice their needs. Researchers indicate their research interests and expertise, and using witchcraft and wizardry, the app matches the community member, the community-identified need and the research team.  They decide: Is this a perfect match? Is the partner still ‘available’ for additional matches? Are they compatible?

These are all great questions that will be explored next term in Collaborative Curiosity: Designing Community-Engaged Research as this will be a significant assignment for the course participants.

Students will address the following:

• Identify a platform for the online tool (i.e., website, mobile app, social media, mixture of previous suggestions, etc.)
• Identify key components that will make the online tool useful and navigable for all users (i.e., profile page, registration process, resources for how to do CEnR or develop partnerships, etc.)
• Describe how the matchmaking tool will link community partners with VCU researchers and/or vice versa
• Include how community partners indicate their needs
• Include how VCU researchers indicate their research interests and expertise
• Include how each stakeholder (i.e., partner and researcher) will access this information and be linked
• Once linked, include how partners and researchers determine whether a ‘match’ has been made

This idea is based off of a MatchMaking App Challenge by Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI).  The challenged asked developers to design concepts and prototypes of a “matching” mechanism connecting patients, stakeholders, and researchers interested in seeking funding for rigorous PCORI.  See http://www.pcori.org/content/pcori-challenge-initiative-2013 and appendix for details.

…when is the first date?