Training Academic and Community Investigator Teams for Community-Engaged Research: Program Development, Implementation, Evaluation and Replication

Background: Community-engaged research (CEnR) is an approach to conducting research that actively involves both academic and community partners. Yet many academic researchers have limited knowledge of emerging science and processes for effectively engaging communities and community members are often subjects of research with limited knowledge and participation in the development and implementation of research.

Objectives: The purpose of this article is to explore two CEnR research training programs, both funded by National Institutes of Health (NIH), for the explicit purpose of facilitating translational science. South Carolina developed the initial program that served as a model for the Delaware program.

Methods: Information is presented about how these two programs recruit, develop, and support academic and community partnerships, as well as how each uses mentorship, funding, and structured training programs for successful CEnR with an emphasis on community-based participatory research (CBPR). The development of each program, the funding source, selection process, team requirements and expectations, educational content, evaluation and outcomes are described.

Results: Both programs have increased the number and quality of community-engaged researchers, with 40 academic and community dyad partnerships participating in the training and successfully completing pilot projects. Evaluations reveal the development of effective academic– community partnerships for research with successful dissemination and return on investment (ROI) ranging from $9.72 to $41.59 for each dollar invested in the projects.

Conclusions: Research teams have demonstrated improvements in developing and using CEnR and CBPR approaches. These intermediate measures of success demonstrate the need for similar programs that provide training, preparation, and support to those interested in CEnR.