CSA Toolkit
Interested in developing a CSA for your institution? Our Community Engagement Team is happy to help. Visit our CSA Toolkit page for more information.
Learn MoreAbout the CSA
The Translational Research Institute established the UAMS Community Scientist Academy to help demystify UAMS research for local citizens and to better prepare them for important volunteer research roles. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities, including steering committees, mentoring committees, review committees, research projects, and in other leadership capacities.
Participants in the Community Scientist Academy interact with UAMS researchers and community members involved in research in small roundtable discussions and other interactive sessions. They learn:
- How researchers decide what health issues to study
- The research process
- The benefits of individual and community organizations’ involvement in research
- Ways they can volunteer to help with research such as serving on community advisory boards, community review boards for individual studies, as a community grant reviewer, a research participant, and how a volunteer organization can become involved.
UAMS researchers conduct clinical studies and community-based studies. Its clinical studies are conducted in UAMS’ hospital and clinics across the state, including at its main campus in Little Rock, Northwest Campus, eight Regional Centers, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, and at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.
To date, 73 Arkansans have graduated from the Community Scientist Academy.
Contact Nicki Spencer for more information on the dates for the next CSA.
Read about the first Community Scientist Academy graduation.