CEnR Community Toolkit
Section 6: How Do I Get Started?
On This Page
In This Section
CEnR Community Toolkit
- Section 1: Introduction
- Section 2: What is Community-Engaged Research (CEnR)?
- Section 3: What’s in it for YOU? – CEnR for Community Partners
- Section 4: Guiding Principles of CEnR
- Section 5: Questions I Should Ask Before Participating in CEnR
Section 6: How Do I Get Started?
- Section 7: Overcoming Challenges
- Section 8: Appendix
Connecting with Researchers
Researchers are often unaware of the specific problems within a community. Likewise, many community partners interested in finding answers to important questions about the health and wellness of their communities are unsure of where to go to find researchers to help them. In many cases, researchers work for academic health institutions, colleges and universities, hospitals, government agencies, and private businesses but might not have a public presence.3 Community partners can certainly search online for colleges and their respective academic departments regarding a potential CEnR project.4 However, attempting to find and connect with researchers in this fashion may be a challenging and time-consuming process.
The CTSI's CEnR program was built on the idea that community partners should have the ability to easily connect with Penn State expertise when they identify a need in their communities. The CEnR program has access to hundreds of researchers who are interested in a variety of health-related topics, all with the end goal of improving wellness in communities across Pennsylvania. The CTSI’s community engagement team will assist in partnership formation and will offer support throughout the research project to best serve everyone involved.
Would you like to share your feedback to improve research? , facilitated by CTSI's community engagement team, provide a forum for researchers to hear firsthand from patients, caregivers, community members and care providers on how to plan and conduct research that is more relevant, patient-centered and impactful. The Community Engagement Studio is a one-time, 90-minute meeting where community members give feedback and advice to improve upon investigators’ research projects. Stipend is provided.
Start Taking Action
One of the most important decisions a community partner makes in the CEnR process is identifying a researcher(s) for the project. Following helpful guidelines early in the team-building process can establish a solid foundation for a satisfying and beneficial collaboration between community partners and researchers.
Action Steps for Building Teams in CEnR
Step 1
Contact Penn State CTSI’s CEnR program. We are here to help connect you with researchers based on shared interests and provide resources and educational programming. Email us at CTSIengage@psu.edu!
Step 2
Get to know the researcher(s) to assure they understand your community’s topics of interest, economic conditions, demographic trends, etc.23,38
Step 3
Verify that researchers have met with community leaders/influencers by attending local events and becoming familiar with organizations (schools, churches, non-profit agencies, etc.).23,38
Step 4
Determine if you already have the resources (or can develop them) necessary to support your participation in a research partnership.38
Step 5
Determine if a CEnR collaboration will be mutually beneficial for you, the community partner, and the researcher(s).38
Additional Considerations
Community partners and researchers should not only consider their mutual interests and potential benefits in a proposed research partnership, but also their differences in perspectives, agendas, and needs before agreeing on a collaboration.39 Be sure that you have plenty of time to thoughtfully consider the many factors that need to be weighed before agreeing to participate in a research partnership.
Trainings and Educational Offerings
Penn State CTSI’s CEnR team has worked in partnership with the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) at Penn State to offer the CIRTification (Community Involvement in Research) Training. This free, interactive, online tutorial was created by the Clinical and Translational Science Institute at the University of Illinois, Chicago and is specifically designed for community partners to learn about human research protections.40 The training is required for community partners who are directly involved in certain aspects of the research process, but is highly recommended for all community partners to learn about important topics involving their participation in a research study. Some subject areas included in the CIRTification training include:
The basics of research – terminology, people, and methods
History of research abuses that has informed current ethical principles, rules, and regulations
Standards and best practices
Recruitment and informed consent
Collecting and protecting data
Handling challenges that may arise during participant interactions.
Please reach out to the CEnR team to determine if this training is right for you!
CTSI’s CEnR team offers ongoing to learn about a variety of topics related to CEnR, including Foundations of Community-Engaged Research, Recruitment, Data, Results Dissemination, among others.
If you and/or your organization have a specific concern regarding CEnR, the CHEER team is here to help. Our qualified team is happy to work with you to tailor specific training to meet your unique needs.
Expectations, Rights & Responsibilities
Is it important for community partners to join CEnR with certain expectations and to understand their rights and responsibilities when agreeing to participate in a CEnR study. Roles and responsibilities of community partners and researchers participating in the study should be clearly established and defined early in the planning process. This can be done by creating a MOU (Memo of Understanding). Penn State finance and grants/contracts offices will negotiate an MOU with the research team and you as a community partner if there is any financial exchange over the course of your partnership. These experts will assist in the development of an official MOU that outlines responsibilities of each partner and fiscal agreements for the work proposed. See Appendix B for an example of an MOU.