Strategies to Engage Community Partners in Research used by Delaware-CTR ACCEL

Area of Science:

• Translational Science
• Community-Based Participatory Research
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Community engagement is essential for research that benefits patients and communities.
• Translational research requires active involvement from community stakeholders.
• Existing research often lacks robust community integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To detail successful community engagement strategies implemented by the Delaware Clinical and Translational Research (DE-CTR), Accelerating Clinical and Translational Research (ACCEL) program.
• To demonstrate how enhanced community involvement can increase participation in translational and community-based research.
• To highlight the role of academic-community partnerships in addressing health priorities.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a dedicated community engagement infrastructure within the DE-CTR/ACCEL program.
• Development and application of multiple methods to educate and motivate researchers in community engagement.
• Fostering academic-community partnerships for collaborative research initiatives.

Main Results:

• Significant increase in participation in community-engaged research and community-based participatory research.
• Established infrastructure supporting community involvement across all research phases: capacity development, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination.
• Strengthened academic-community partnerships demonstrating feasibility and impact.

Conclusions:

• The DE-CTR/ACCEL program's approach effectively enhances community engagement in translational research.
• Academic-community partnerships are critical for addressing health disparities and community-defined health priorities.
• The implemented infrastructure provides a scalable model for fostering community involvement in research.