Capacity Needs in Community-Based Organizations for Enhancing Translational Research in Puerto Rico

What is the Purpose of this Study?

• • In an effort to form and sustain community-academic partnerships to enhance clinical and translational research, an assessment of needs for selecting and implementing evidenced-based programs was conducted among a group of community-based organizations (N=62) in Puerto Rico that work or address specific health areas: cancer, neurological disorders, HIV, and cardiovascular health.

What is the Problem?

• • Little research exists that describes the capacity needs in community-based organizations for building a sustainable translational research capacity and enhancing translational research in Puerto Rico.

What are the Findings?

• • The survey revealed wide variability in understanding what constitutes an evidence-based program.

• • Training needs for building a productive translational research process also were identified.

• • These findings point to important implications for promoting community-campus partnerships for advancing clinical and translational research.

Who Should Care Most?

• • Community-based organizations in Puerto Rico that work or address specific health areas: cancer, neurological disorders, HIV, and cardiovascular health.

• • Academia, in order to form and sustain community-academic partnerships to enhance clinical and translational research.

• • Individuals/organizations responsible for training CBOs.

Recommendations for Action

• • Build a sustainable translational research capacity by establishing stable community-academic partnerships.

• • Based upon training needs identified through the survey and discussion groups, we have designed a comprehensive training program that will be offered to 12 innovator/early-adopter CBOs.

• • Build a translational research framework in Puerto Rico.