Community Review Boards (CRBs), a service by the TRI Community Engagement (CE) Team, to allow a researcher to gain feedback from the community (target population) regarding things like study design, recruitment, implementation, retention, or dissemination of their research project. We based our model off of Vanderbilt University CRB Service which they now call CE Studios.
CRBs serve as a one-time, two hour guidance session for investigators in various stages of their research projects. A CRB is not a focus group.
How do I request a CRB?
To begin the process, you will submit a request via the TRI Portal for Community Engagement Services. The CE team will contact you to schedule the consultation.
How much time does the process take?
For the researcher, there is a small investment of time as the CE team takes the lead on most aspects of the CRB.
- 5 minutes: Submitting the TRI Portal Request
- 1 hour: CE Consultation Meeting
- 30 min – 1 hour: Preparing Draft of PPT slides and Community Questions
- 30 min – 1 hour: Follow up meeting with CE team to review PPT slides and Q’s to ensure they are lay friendly
- 2 hours: Community Review Board*
CRBs should be requested at least 2 months prior to the CRB meeting date.
What should my presentation contain?
The CE team will provide you a PPT template which includes research purpose, specific aims, methods, possible benefits to the community in lay language. Upon request, the CE team can provide a PPT example.
How many questions can I ask?
Up to five, open-ended questions can be answered in one CRB.
Who handles the recruitment and cost of the CRB?
- The CE team will recruit 6-8 participants who meet the participant criteria agreed upon during the initial consultation.
- TRI covers the cost and logistics of the CRB including the venue fee, catering and participant incentives ($50 gift card per person).
What happens the day of the CRB?
The CE team will:
- Handle setting up the room
- Ensure all participants meet the CRB criteria*
- Ensure we remain with a participant group of no more than 8 participants**
- Provide lunch and the ClinCards (incentives)
- Clean up of the room
A CE Program Manager will facilitate:
- Introduction
- Ground Rules
- Paperwork Information
- Discussion of the Researcher’s Questions with the Community Experts
- Closing
The Researcher will:
- Provide the 15 minutes presentation
- Answer any study-specific questions that arise within the presentation
- Participate in the group discussion directly following the presentation
Will I receive a report after the CRB?
A CE Program Manager will be assigned to take notes during the CRB. Within two weeks of the CRB, you will receive a CRB report containing the community feedback, survey results (we provide two to the participants), and any information from participants that want to be contacted in the future regarding your study.
Can I invite others to attend the CRB?
We prefer that you only invite 1-2 others to the CRB. We want to ensure the UAMS employees do not outnumber the participants possibly causing them to be less open regarding their feedback.
*If participants show up that do not meet the criteria, they will not be allowed to participate in the CRB.
**Additionally, the eight participants who registered will be given priority for participation. Unregistered participants will be given the opportunity to wait to see if there is an open space. The researcher can provide their information for future contact and potential participation in their study.