RCMI Community Engagement Core

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ABSTRACT Governed by the values of integrity, partnership, and equity, the Community Engagement Core (CEC) uses a broad base of community expertise and guidance that will interact with the other Cores and research projects that comprise the RCMI to enable: (1) the prioritization and conduct of research that addresses community- guided health concerns; and (2) the rapid dissemination and implementation of research findings to achieve health equity. The CEC will work closely with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) and Community Research Advisory Board (CRAB) to: (1) assess community health priorities; (2) guide research emphases and design; (3) enable and sustain a trusted and contributory presence in communities; (4) empower community members to be agents of change; and (5) guide the application of research findings toward meaningful and health- promoting community initiatives. CEC Specific Aims are to: (1) Facilitate equitable, collaborative, and sustainable relationships between researchers and community members/stakeholders to enable a bi- directional “exchange of information” that augments the potential impact of research findings for achieving health equity; (2) Build and nurture trust within communities to enable the recruitment and retention of underrepresented groups in research; and (3) Enhance the translation of research into practice through the timely and tailored dissemination of research findings to key stakeholders including community partners, health care organizations, policymakers, and the scientific community. CEC Specific Aims will be guided in inquiry and action by key recommendations to achieving community-based solutions to health challenges1 and via an Interactive Systems Framework2,3 for dissemination and implementation. The CEC will leverage and expand extant infrastructure and ongoing community partnerships to serve as the hub for community-engaged research at the University of Houston, the second most ethnically diverse major research university in the U.S.