Community Engagement (CE)

Community Engagement (CE) is critical to increase the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance of clinical and translational research. The Community Engagement core aims to give communities a voice in the research that is important to them.

The Community Engagement core through the Partnership of Academicians and Communities for Translation (PACT) aims to:

• Educate and connect investigators and communities
• Develop programs to improve relationships and build trust between academics and communities
• Build capacity in community-academic partnerships
• Provide funds for community engagement and research
• Facilitate Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Our Mission

To transform the way communities and researchers work together to design and conduct research by integrating the needs of the community in to the research structure. Our goal is to improve the health of the people in Colorado and the Rocky Mountain Region.

Specific Aims

1. Convene strategic community-academic partnerships as a sustained enterprise for community-based translational research that encourages trust in the research enterprise and addresses health concerns of relevance to communities
2. Build the capacity of Colorado researchers, community organizations and practices to conduct mutually beneficial, community-engaged research
3. Infuse community engagement throughout the translational research spectrum, strengthening the bidirectional links between the academic medical center, healthcare providers, and community
4. Facilitate the translation and dissemination of scientific discoveries into practical, community-relevant language and interventions

Special Projects: Special projects are projects that are intermittent or associated with specific funding streams that are in addition to the core programs described in this document. The CE Core participates in a number of special projects each year.

Pilot Grant Program

• Pilot grants strengthen community-academic partnerships for translational research. Eligible grants support:
• ​​Joint pilot projects proposed by established community-academic partnerships, or
• Partnership Development funds to foster new community-academic partnerships

Pilot Grantee Training

Prepares CCTSI Community Engagement Pilot grantees with basic knowledge of community-based participatory research principles and partnership development.

Networking Events

Sponsored conferences and networking activities for community members and academics

Research Exchange and Networking Forum