Community Engaged Research

A community is any group of people with something in common, such as location, interests, job, faith or family. Research is usually done within universities or labs, and can lead to discoveries that improve health. By putting communities and researchers together, they may be able to address the most important health issues of a community and help research move faster.

The process of engagement happens over time, starting with a foundation of trust. Communities and researchers need to work together from the beginning (figuring out what problems to study and how) through to the end (looking at the results together and sharing these widely). This can also include advocacy work, such as increasing awareness of health conditions among policymakers.

Request a personal consultation with our community engagement experts.

• Be clear about the purpose or goal of engaging with the communities and/or populations.

• Become knowledgeable about the community, its history and how community members perceive those trying to engage with them.

• Build trust and establish relationships within the community.

• Community members have the right to collectively decide how to act in their own self-interest.

• Partnering with the community is necessary to create change and improve health.

• Recognize and respect the community’s diversity as well as factors affecting its diversity.

• Develop a community’s capacity and resources to take action, using its strengths and assets.

• Be flexible to changing needs and be prepared to let go of control of actions or interventions within the community.

• Community collaboration requires long-term commitment by the engaging organization and its partners.

Adapted from the Principles of Community Engagement (Second Edition), developed by the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Consortium, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)  and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

There are three interactive learning modules about Community Engaged Research (CEnR) using real-life examples of successful projects. The modules describe important resources and contacts that can help you start your own research project.

Each module takes less than 20 minutes to complete. There’s a short quiz before and after each one so you can see how much you’ve learned.

Module 1: What is CEnR and why should we do it?

Module 2: Strategies for implementing a CEnR project

Module 3: Problem-solving potential barriers to CEnR

Toolbox for Conducting  Community-Engaged Research  (for community members, clinical providers or researchers)

Principles of Community Engagement, Second Edition  developed by the Clinical and Translational Awards (CTSA) Program, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) This series provides core training in human subjects research and includes the historical development of human subject protections, ethical issues, and current regulatory and guidance information.