Exploring the experiences and impact of Community Research Associates (CRAs) in building infrastructure for community-engaged research: A multi-institution survey of RC4 projects

In 2009, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the role of Community Research Associate (CRA) to strengthen and sustain community-university research partnerships focused on accelerating the translation of research findings into local practice. Through the NIH funding mechanism entitled “Building Sustainable Community-Linked Infrastructure to Enable Health Science Research (RC4)” (RFA-OD-09-010), funded institutions were required to identify and establish CRAs within their projects to serve as liaisons between academic health centers and their respective communities. At the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR), a Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA)-funded site, CRAs have been instrumental in enhancing collaborative research partnerships and developing new initiatives that build capacity for community-engaged research. In addition to MICHR, other RC4-funded institutions have utilized CRAs to enhance varying types of health research partnerships and community infrastructure projects. However, little is known about how CRAs affiliated with different sites effectively address issues of community relevance and ensure those priorities are met throughout the research process. To enhance this knowledge-base, MICHR initiated a multi-institution survey among RC4-funded project sites to provide a snapshot comparison of the experiences and impact that CRAs have had in their unique communities and projects. The pilot survey objectives were to 1) document similarities and differences in the role and function of CRAs from different sites, 2) capture perceived impact that CRAs have made in enhancing community-university research partnerships, and 3) determine interest around establishing a collaborative mechanism for sharing of knowledge and best practices.