Evaluating Research Centers in Minority Institutions: Framework, Metrics, Best Practices, and Challenges

Area of Science:

• Health Disparities Research
• Program Evaluation
• Health Equity

Background:

• The NIH-funded Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program supports 18 institutions.
• RCMI aims to strengthen research environments and contributions to health disparities research.

Purpose of the Study:

• Establish a uniform evaluation framework for the RCMI research consortium.
• Demonstrate the collective success and impact of RCMI institutions on health disparities.

Main Methods:

• Multiphase mixed-methods study.
• Included RCMI Evaluators' Workshop discussions, literature review, and a case study survey.
• Ten RCMIs participated in the workshop; 14 submitted survey responses.

Main Results:

• Developed the RCMI Evaluation Conceptual Model for documenting impacts.
• Identified 37 common evaluation metrics across four categories.
• Highlighted challenges including limited resources, data collection, and metric definition.

Conclusions:

• A practical framework and common metrics are established to document RCMI impacts.
• Collaborative efforts are needed to address evaluation challenges and enhance measurement.
• Engaging program leadership and stakeholders is crucial for inter-institutional comparisons and community impact.