NIH Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL)

Leading effective and authentic community-engaged research is no easy feat, which is why CEACR provides tailored expert consultations to research teams seeking to apply principles of community engagement in their work. CEACR's Principal Investigators, Dr. Mylynda Massart from the University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Al Richmond from Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, joined a recent Health Equity Research Outreach lecture to inform the research community about CEACR's: 🤝 Menu of services for research teams and academic institutions 👩🏫 Tailored consultations informed by experts from the community and academia 📊 Evaluation process that measures their impact and success 💪 Future focus on shifting the culture of research from an "engagement to recruit" to an "engagement to partner" approach Learn more about how you can collaborate with the CEACR team: https://bit.ly/48YnIot #CommunityEngagement #CommunityEngagedResearch #HealthEquity

Your voice matters! Researchers, health care professionals, advocates, and community members, don't miss your chance to share your input with The National Institutes of Health at their next virtual townhall Dec. 4. NIH wants to hear from you as they work to identify the most pressing concerns in minority health and health disparities for the next five years. Your experiences, perspectives, and insights are invaluable in identifying priority areas that impact the communities you serve. Share your feedback and help guide this important work. Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/40CzXow #HealthDisparities #PublicHealthResearch

New report 🌎 The fifth edition of "Climate Change Indicators in the United States" promotes understanding of how climate change impacts our communities and environment, with examples of how communities are addressing these challenges. Using data from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this report groups climate indicators into eight themes, showing interconnections, cause-and-effect relationships, and how physical changes in the atmosphere affect human health, and society — particularly for communities most affected. Discover the actions underway and see how communities are working to build resilience in the face of a changing climate: https://bit.ly/3zxeXnA #ClimateChange #HealthEquity #EnvironmentalHealth

The Pennsylvania CEAL Regional Team conducted four surveys over the course of 18 months, gauging the public’s perception of COVID-19 and their willingness to participate in clinical trials. Researchers from University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing found that public perception of the pandemic remained the same, but they also found that race/ethnicity should be considered when tailoring clinical trial information. Read about how tailoring this information can increase trust in vaccine safety: https://bit.ly/3C9d3uQ #DiversityInScience #ClinicalResearch

CEAL Co-chair and director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Dr. Gary H. Gibbons, will be awarded the prestigious Builders of Science Award from Research!America: Discovery. Innovation. Health. 👏 Research!America presents its Advocacy Awards annually to recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership efforts have advanced the nation's commitment to medical and health research. This recognition celebrates Dr. Gibbons' groundbreaking contributions to cardiovascular health for the most affected communities and his dedication to community-engaged research. Want to learn more about Dr. Gibbons' work and CEAL's impact? Be sure to read our latest newsletter for updates on our initiatives! https://bit.ly/3COj7cj

The Community Engagement Alliance Consultative Resource (CEACR) advances the CEAL mission by providing research teams with best practices to support their community engagement efforts. CEACR provides tailored support to researchers by tapping into their network of community engagement experts from academic, clinical, and community-based settings. With over 50 consultations under its belt — addressing topics like equitable partner compensation and cultural appropriateness of public-facing study recruitment materials — CEACR offers invaluable guidance to consultees and continues building out its resource library for community organizations and researchers. Discover what CEACR has to offer: https://bit.ly/4fuqPXR CEACR consultations are provided through collaborations with two academic and community partners, The University of Pittsburgh Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Community-Campus Partnerships for Health.

As Asian American (AA) and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (NHPI) populations have grown, it has become more and more clear that the AA and NHPI populations are far from a monolith. They differ in socioeconomic status, health status, educational attainment, labor force characteristics, and many other ways. This underscores the need for disaggregated AA and NHPI data — that is, data by individual AA and NHPI populations. In collaboration with AAPI Data, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders released a fact sheet that features disaggregated data for these communities on key indicators like educational attainment, poverty, and housing. Download the fact sheet and learn more about the importance of data disaggregation: https://bit.ly/3CwBgeQ

Community-engaged research thrives on the inclusion of local voices. West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine's (WVSOM) Center for Rural and Community Health (CRCH) exemplifies this approach and has a wealth of experience building partnerships by addressing community needs, fostering relationships, and supporting community-led projects. In collaboration with WVSOM, the Community Engagement Alliance Consultative Resource (CEACR) produced a fact sheet based on 2 WVSOM case studies that illustrate effective community-centered practices. "Spreading the word about these programs aligns perfectly with CEACR's mission to promote best practices in community-engaged research," said Emily Finley, M.P.H. One case study tells the story of how WVSOM CRCH offered its space, hosted task force meetings, and served as a connector for community resources in response to a deadly flood in West Virginia. By providing resources and actively responding to community needs, the WVSOM built a strong foundation of trust and reciprocity with community members, which can support future community-engaged research. This new fact sheet offers expert recommendations based on real-life experiences, guiding researchers in their community-engaged projects. Learn more about this collaboration: https://bit.ly/4hUg8z5 #NationalRuralHealthDay

Health care professionals now find large numbers of Latinx immigrant youth and families in their waiting rooms, yet there is relatively little published research on their mental health experiences and clinical needs. National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) Insights article highlights research by Amanda Venta, Ph.D., and insights from her work with the Office of Refugee Resettlement, where she provides psychological services for unaccompanied immigrant minors. With over a decade of research, her findings emphasize that immigrant health and well-being are deeply tied to interpersonal relationships. Family separation, an interpersonal risk, impacts mental health in youth, whereas Latinx cultural values like 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑚𝑜 act as protective factors, fostering resilience and social support. Dig into Dr. Venta's research: https://bit.ly/4fIRcJ9

Kunga Denzongpa represented CEACR's evaluation team at the American Evaluation Association (AEA) annual conference, where she presented on culturally responsive equitable evaluation (CREE) and how Community-Campus Partnerships for Health and CEACR are using CREE in their work. What is CREE? CREE is an approach that incorporates cultural, structural, and contextual factors and uses a participatory process that shifts power to individuals most impacted. At the completion of a consultation CEACR held for an NIH-funded project seeking community engagement support, the CEACR evaluation team used a key CREE principle of inclusive collaboration throughout their evaluation process. How did they do this? CEACR brought key stakeholders, like community representatives, investigators, and liaisons, together to provide recommendations for appropriate spaces for seeking feedback on their evaluation plans. CEACR also used their feedback to revise their survey design. Learn more about the CEACR team and their work: https://bit.ly/3CuuQNh