Helping Basic Scientists Engage With Community Partners to Enrich and Accelerate Translational Research

Abstract

Problem: Engaging basic scientists in community-based translational research is challenging but has great potential for improving health.

Approach: In 2009, The Rockefeller University Center for Clinical and Translational Science partnered with Clinical Directors Network, a practice-based research network (PBRN), to create a community-engaged research navigation (CEnR-Nav) program to foster research pairing basic science and community-driven scientific aims. The program is led by an academic navigator and a PBRN navigator. Through meetings and joint activities, the program facilitates basic science-community partnerships and the development and conduct of joint research protocols.

Outcomes: From 2009-2014, 39 investigators pursued 44 preliminary projects through the CEnR-Nav program; 25 of those became 23 approved protocols and 2 substudies. They involved clinical scholar trainees, early-career physician-scientists, faculty, students, postdoctoral fellows, and others. Nineteen (of 25; 76%) identified community partners, of which 9 (47%) named them as coinvestigators. Nine (of 25; 36%) included T3-T4 translational aims. Seven (of 25; 28%) secured external funding, 11 (of 25; 44%) disseminated results through presentations or publications, and 5 (71%) of 7 projects publishing results included a community partner as a coauthor. Of projects with long-term navigator participation, 9 (of 19; 47%) incorporated T3-T4 aims and 7 (of 19; 37%) secured external funding.

Next steps: The CEnR-Nav program provides a model for successfully engaging basic scientists with communities to advance and accelerate translational science. This model's durability and generalizability have not been determined, but it achieves valuable short-term goals and facilitates scientifically meaningful community-academic partnerships.

Figure 1

The stages and associated activities of the community-engaged research navigation (CEnR-Nav) process. (1) Building collaborations: meeting to identify the right community research partners; engaging with stakeholders to understand research priorities, concerns, and training needs; and developing research agreements or memoranda of understanding. (2) Developing proposals/concepts: articulating scientific and community aim(s); incorporating community-oriented research design; and reviewing ethical considerations of agency and human protections. (3) Protocol navigation: refining protocol design for institutional review board and scientific review. (4) Starting up a study: developing data use agreements and data sharing tools; coordinating multisite approvals; and training study staff. (5) Conducting protocol: monitoring operations and informed consent; holding team meetings; engaging in scientific and operational problem solving; and facilitating communication. (6) Dissemination: developing a dissemination plan; and reaching community and academic stakeholders.