Development and Evaluation of a Training Program for Community-Based Participatory Research in Breast Cancer.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Cancer Research
• Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Background:

• Developing effective community-academic partnerships is crucial for addressing complex health issues like breast cancer.
• Existing training programs may not adequately prepare teams for collaborative, fundable research on environmental causes and disparities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the development and assess the feasibility of the Community Based Research Infrastructure to Better Science (CRIBS) training program.
• To evaluate the CRIBS training's effectiveness in fostering strong partnerships and developing fundable research projects focused on breast cancer environmental causes and disparities.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods participatory approach was employed to evaluate the CRIBS training.
• Twenty-two community-academic teams applied, with twelve enrolled. Training completion, participant feedback, and grant submission/funding success were assessed.

Main Results:

• All twelve enrolled teams completed the training and submitted research grant proposals.
• High ratings and positive qualitative feedback were received for all training components.
• Self-rated competency across learning domains significantly increased.
• Four teams (33%) secured funding on their first submission, with six (50%) eventually funded.

Conclusions:

• The CRIBS training successfully achieved its goals, establishing new community-based participatory research teams and enhancing knowledge.
• The program demonstrated feasibility and effectiveness in preparing teams to develop and submit fundable research proposals.
• CRIBS training is a valuable resource for strengthening community-academic collaborations in environmental breast cancer research.