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A Penn State Nittany Lion statue is seen in the courtyard of Penn State College of Medicine in Summer 2016. The statue is in focus toward the right side of the image. Out of focus in the background, green plants and trees are visible in the courtyard.

Section 5: Community-Engaged Research at Penn State

Community engagement in research is increasingly being recognized as critical for translating research, not only from the bench to bedside, but also back into the community.26,27

A cube with grass, a cornfield, house, man and woman on top; Penn State researcher at bench holding beaker and Penn State Health physician with patient inside; words point to how science addresses health care needs, health care needs guide research, health care addresses community needs, and community needs guide both research and health care resources.

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Varying research designs and scientific approaches across the translational spectrum can utilize CEnR methodology, ranging from the basic sciences,28 pragmatic randomized clinical trials,29 randomized-controlled behavioral interventions,30 qualitative research31 and even natural experiments!32

Deeper Dive

Check out this educational video from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences to learn more about the role of translational scientists!

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CEnR in action across Penn State and Pennsylvania communities

In order to understand the landscape of CEnR at Penn State, the CHEER team undertook a survey of researchers, community partners and community health workers. Through this effort, we identified 78 Penn State researchers engaged with community partners in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania!

Map of Pennsylvania with Penn State shield logos where there are PSU campuses and dots of varying sizes where there are CEnR partners.

Check out Section 7 for some of the many examples of successful Penn State CEnR efforts across Pennsylvania communities!

Check it out!

Ready to take a dive into the literature? Check out PCORI’s comprehensive Engagement in Health Research Literature Explorer to find relevant publications within CEnR that will assist in proposal development all the way through to publication of your important work!

Description: Translational Research Influence Graphic Expand answer

Three faces of a cube portray the interactions and influences between communities, scientists and health care professionals. On the top face is a community graphic which shows two citizens engaged in a conversation on a roadway outside a rural dwelling attached to a farm. On the front left face is a scientist in a lab wearing a lab coat and holding a vial of liquid. In front of them is a table with a clip board and more vials of liquid. The Penn State logo is visible on the wall underneath two windows. On the front right face is a patient and doctor conversing in an exam room. The doctor, wearing a lab coat, holds a clipboard while the patient, dressed in an exam gown, is lying on a bed with a cast on their right arm. The Penn State Health logo is visible on the wall underneath a single window. Various arrows show how the various groups influence each other. An arrow pointing from the community face to the science face says community needs guide research. An arrow pointing from the science face to the health care face says science addresses health care needs. An arrow pointing from the health care face to the science face says health care needs guide research. An arrow pointing from the health care face to the community face says health care addresses community needs. An arrow pointing from the community face to the health care face says community needs guide health care resources.