Fighting the IRB in community based participatory research: A case study

Problem/Objective: Recently, there has been increased interest in and funding support for community based participatory research (CBPR), in which academic researchers work in partnership with community members. This interest arose out of a need to engage marginalized communities which are affected by health disparities, build community capacity, and end relationships of ‘dominance over' in favor of ‘partnerships toward' health. TRDRP has developed research funding mechanisms explicitly requiring both academic and community co-Principal Investigators and use of community participatory research approaches. Yet such partnerships can prove difficult mergers of very different cultures. Methods: Review of CBPR principles and discussion of obstacles to successful CBPR, using examples encountered in one such current partnership (the Protecting the ‘Hood Against Tobacco project). Results: Community-academic research partnerships may face numerous institutional and other obstacles, including: a) human subjects review issues, b) insurance coverage and liability issues for community-based activities, c) role delineation and development, d) the dynamic nature of such projects, and e) the sometimes conflicting ethical demands and expectations of academic and community partners. Conclusions: If community-based participatory research partnerships with academia are valued as worthwhile, then research partners, funders and institutions must consider how to address existing academic structural and other barriers to such projects.