1000 cups of coffee: a call for intentional relationship-building in behavioral science through community-based participatory research

Behavioral scientists increasingly recognize the importance of community engagement in the process toward designing impactful, equitable, and sustainable interventions. Yet, the academic structures that govern research timelines and outputs often undervalue the slow, relational labor required to form meaningful Community-Academic Partnerships (CAPs). This commentary uses the metaphor of “1000 cups of coffee” to capture the time-intensive, trust-building processes foundational to Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR). We argue that without deep-rooted relationships, the process of co-design and intervention development may become nominal, irrelevant, or ineffective. Drawing on our own examples of creating a pan-Canadian community of practice advancing newcomer sport and physical activity behaviors, we highlight how we have embedded CBPR into our own research practice. By committing to authentic partnerships, behavioral scientists can ensure that their work is contextually grounded, culturally relevant, and eventually more impactful.