Community-Engaged Research in HIV Implementation Science: Characterizing Academic and Community Partnerships in the...

Meaningful community engagement in research is critical yet challenging in traditional academic models. To inform engagement efforts, we characterized community-academic partnerships funded through the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) Initiative.

From July to December 2023, community and academic partner recipients of 2021 or 2022 EHE implementation science awards were invited to independently complete an online survey assessing partnership experience, anticipated and experienced levels of community engagement, and community engagement throughout the research process. Level of community engagement measures was guided by the Continuum of Community Engagement model. Data were descriptively analyzed.

Of 102 invited projects, we received 82 responses, 29 community (35%) and 53 academic (65%) awardees, representing 54 projects (53%). We received responses from community and academic representatives of the same project (ie, paired responses) for 22 of 54 (41%) participating projects. One-third (27/82) of participants reported collaborating with their EHE partner for ≤2 years. Overall, 41 of 53 (77%) academic representatives anticipated higher engagement than they experienced. Conversely, 20 of 28 (71%) community partners anticipated lower levels of community engagement than they experienced. Community and academic partners reported active engagement of community partners during recruitment (71/81, 88%) and data collection (54/81, 67%) activities most frequently. They reported active engagement of community partners during data analysis (18/81, 22%) and grant writing (22/81, 27%) activities least frequently.

EHE implementation science awards largely resulted in active collaborations with varied experiential perspectives from both academic and community partners. Strategies for improved shared understanding of how partners envision their engagement throughout the research may strengthen collaborations.