Researching together: Using an innovative community-academic partnership to administer a community translational research pilot grants program

This presentation will describe how the Colorado Foundation for Public Health and the Environment works in partnership with the University of Colorado's Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) to administer a community translational research pilot grant program. The effort prioritizes community participation in translational research efforts. This is accomplished by providing innovative mechanisms to efficiently direct resources and assistance to community-based research partners. The pilot grant program requires community organizations and academic researchers to develop and conduct community based research together as equal partners. This presentation will focus on the administration of the program including development, selection, resource allocation and technical assistance needed to assure success of the partnerships.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides funding for community engagement efforts through their Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA's) in universities across the country to help address an ever-widening gap between the knowledge gained through research and the translation of this knowledge into practical application at the community level. While funding addresses a critical need, inefficient and insensitive administrative practices along with the absence of a sustainable community research infrastructure remain barriers to successful community-academic research initiatives.