A case study in participatory science with mutual capacity building between university and tribal researchers to investigate drinking water quality in rural Maine.

Background: Participatory science or citizen science is increasingly being recognized for providing benefits to scientists and community members alike. However, most participatory science projects include community researchers only in the sample collection phase of the research project. Here we describe how a rural tribal community and urban university utilized participatory science methods to engage community researchers across an entire research study, creating numerous opportunities for mutual capacity building.