Community Based Participatory Research Scholars Program

Program Overview & Format

The CBPR Scholars Program’s goal is to increase community partnered research at UAMS to better serve the research needs of the Arkansas community and ultimately to reduce health disparities in Arkansas.  This program will provide participants with the foundational knowledge of CBPR and skills to:

1. Develop meaningful, equitable partnerships (academic researcher and community partner)
2. Learn together how to conduct community-based participatory research
3.  Jointly develop and submit a scientifically sound funding proposal for targeted pilot funding of up to $50,000 from the TRI. Participation in this course does not guarantee an award.

What is Community Based Participatory Research?

For purposes of this program we define CBPR as: “a collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparities.”

Israel BA, Schulz AJ, Parker EA, Becker AB. Review of community-based research: assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annu Rev Public Health. 1998;19:173-202. doi:10.1146/annurev.publhealth.19.1.173 

Program Format

Hybrid (self-guided online and face-to-face components – preferably in person but guided  virtual, if necessary) training program for a partnership between academic and community based researchers to receive Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) training.

• 1 year commitment: Complete online modules, meeting with your academic and community mentors, and meetings with community partner for activities
  • End of Year 1: Participants will have an opportunity to apply for targeted TRI Pilot Award Funding.
  • Year 2:  If proposal is funded, support/technical assistance during grant year
• 10 hours a month (estimate)

Monthly Training Modules

Each module will include:

• Short Online Video Lectures
• Pre-Class Grant Assignment
• In-person session
• In-class funding proposal component assignment
• Optional Online or In-Person Skills Labs: Developing recruitment/promotional materials, REDCap, PhotoVoice, etc.

Eligibility Criteria

Each team IS REQUIRED tohave the following members:

1. UAMS Faculty with a terminal degree (Assistant Professor or above)
2. Academic Researcher: with sufficient time to dedicate to the project and sufficient research expertise to guide the science  (may or may not be UAMS faculty)
3. Community Organization Partner Representative: 501c3

Multi-Disciplinary Team

We encourage multi-disciplinary teams to apply but this is not required. Each team may have additional researchers/clinicians within and outside the UAMS (ex: UAPB, UALR, etc.)

Module Content

1. Module 1: Introduction
   1. Section 1: Program Overview
   2. Section 2: Social Determinants of Health & Health Disparities
   3. Section 3: Overview of Community Based Participatory Research
2. Module 2: Building Cultural Humility
   1. Section 1: Understanding the population of interest, community partner organization and academic culture
3. Module 3: Building a Partnership
   1. Section 1: Assessing Goodness of Fit
   2. Section 2: Addressing Expectations
4. Module 4: Developing Collaborative Proposals
   1. Section 1: Identifying Funding Opportunities
   2. Section 2: Collaborating in Proposal Writing
   3. Section 3: Supplemental Grant Components (i.e. Letters of Support, Biosketches)
   4. Section 4: Developing a Budget
   5. Section 5: Preparing for a subaward
5. Module 5:Doing the Work 
   1. Section 1: Planning Process: Collaboratively developing a timeline and distribution of work
   2. Section 2: Implementation Process
6. Module 6: Sustaining the Partnership
   1. Section 1: Evaluating the Partnership and Planning for Sustainability
   2. Section 2: Preparing for Changing Roles