Evaluating community-based participatory research to improve community-partnered science and community health.

Since 2007, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Policy Research Center (PRC) has partnered with the Universities of New Mexico and Washington to study the science of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Our goal is to identify facilitators and barriers to effective community-academic partnerships in American Indian and other communities, which face health disparities.We have described herein the scientific design of our National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study (2009-2013) and lessons learned by having a strong community partner leading the research efforts.The research team is implementing a mixed-methods study involving a survey of principal investigators (PIs) and partners across the nation and in-depth case studies of CBPR projects.We present preliminary findings on methods and measures for community-engaged research and eight lessons learned thus far regarding partnership evaluation, advisory councils, historical trust, research capacity development of community partner, advocacy, honoring each other, messaging, and funding.Study methodologies and lessons learned can help community-academic research partnerships translate research in communities.

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