Deliberative Engagement of Communities in Decisions about Research Spending

研究人员越来越多地让社区参与关于研究目标和方法的决策，并作为参与者，但社区对研究优先事项的影响，这是公正资源分配的一个关键方面，仍然有限。我们建议开发和评估一种创新工具，让少数民族和服务不足的社区参与制定临床和转化研究资金的优先事项。在开发和使用CHAT（共同选择健康计划）审议工作的经验的基础上，并利用社区调查人员，关键信息提供者和指导委员会，我们将开发与健康研究优先事项（ReCHAT）相关的CHAT内容。为了评估这一工具，我们将召集50个小组，由9-15名社区成员组成，这些成员来自主要是少数民族和服务不足的社区。评价将审查个人和小组对这项工作的看法，包括小组决定和程序的公平性。我们还将检查审议的质量，以及参与是否会影响知识，对研究人员的信任或参与研究的意愿。我们有决策者的承诺，使用结果来影响决策，我们将研究是否和如何发生。成功开发一种方法，让社区参与卫生研究优先事项的制定，有可能产生巨大的影响，并可以使研究经费的决定更公正，更符合社区的需求和价值观。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Increasingly, researchers involve communities in decisions about research aims and methods, and as participants, but community influence on research priorities, a key aspect of just resource allocation, remains limited. We propose development and evaluation of an innovative tool to engage minority and underserved communities in setting clinical and translational research funding priorities. Building on experience developing and using the CHAT (Choosing Healthplans All Together) deliberation exercise, and drawing on community investigators, key informants, and a Steering committee, we will develop CHAT content relevant for health research priorities (ReCHAT). To evaluate the tool, we will convene 50 groups of 9-15 community members from predominantly minority and underserved communities. Evaluation will examine individual and group views of the exercise, including fairness of group decisions and processes. We will also examine the quality of deliberations, and whether participation affects knowledge, trust in researchers or willingness to participate in research. We have commitments from decision makers to use results to influence decisions, and we will examine whether and how this occurs. Successful development of a method to engage communities in health research priority setting has the potential for enormous impact and could make research funding decisions more just and more aligned with community needs and values.