Community Outreach
The Community PARTners Core supports nearly 200 ongoing member and organizational partnerships that encourage scientific findings to better human health and mental health. These relationships bring people together to collaborate, foster public trust, and ultimately promote health equity for all. For researchers, the community engagement team helps develop studies that address the complex health questions about which community partners state are most concerning. We provide training, as well as funding for research development and partnered data collection. For community organizations, we assist with providing evidence-based research interventions and practices. We assist communities with getting the word out on health research awareness and education.
CTSI's Community PARTners Core, the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, the New Pittsburgh Courier, and the UPMC Center for Engagement & Inclusion collaborate on a monthly printed and online health page in the Courier, a Lunch and Learn series in the downtown Urban League location, and a newly launched quarterly Dinner and Dialogue series held in the University of Pittsburgh’s Community Engagement Centers. Aims for this unique, ongoing partnership between academics, the community, a health system, and local media include community health education and advocacy, increasing minority participation in clinical and translational research, and encouraging individuals to become empowered and actively engaged in their own health.
The Community Partners Research Ethics Training was designed to help Principal Investigators to tailor research ethics training for their specific studies and to encourage dialogue with community members who will participate on the research team. This training is particularly relevant for investigators engaged in clinical and translational research involving community stakeholders. Investigators have the opportunity to create and discuss scenarios that may arise in the course of their specific study while ensuring that Core research ethics principles are defined and reviewed.
The bi-monthly electronic newsletter highlights CTSI programming, community partnerships, internal and external events, and leadership profiles. To be added to the mailing list, please e-mail rck30@pitt.edu.
The CTSI Stakeholder Advisory Board is comprised of diverse stakeholders from the community who serve for a minimum of two years. The SAB serves as a forum for bidirectional communication between researchers and the community in every phase of the research process. The SAB will guide investigators in understanding the challenges and gaps that can lead to disparities in research participation, especially for diverse populations. The group works together to inform design of participant engagement strategies, including awareness and education; and advise on enrollment strategies to reach and retain broad spectrum of the community with emphasis on diverse populations and marginalized communities.
Community PARTners and Comparative Effectiveness Research Core leaders have developed a Stakeholder Engagement Resource Guide to assist investigators who are interested in community-engaged research.
The Health Advocate provides a link between the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh staff and clientele, the local community and researchers of health sciences in the Pittsburgh region. The Advocate carries out the daily tasks associated with the Urban League’s health outreach and education efforts, and prioritizes community health needs in programming, to ensure that the priorities of the community are conveyed to CTSI partners. To facilitate connections and partnerships, this position is located at the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh where the Health Education Office provides information to their clientele across the lifespan, care navigation services, and information about and connection to relevant health research.
Annual grant funds awarded to community organizations to engage in research dissemination by working with researchers to spread information and knowledge gained through research that many people can understand. Research findings can take up to 17 years to reach communities. This is too long! By partnering together, communities can hear about the latest research and best practices that affect the health of those they care about. This understanding can encourage people to use the best practices and make the best decisions about their health. Ultimately, this can build healthier communities.
The Youth Research Advisory Board (YRAB) is a diverse group of 15 to 26 years-old teens and young adults who meet monthly to offer a youth perspective to interested researchers and community partners about adolescent research. Members provide a youth voice by providing feedback on how to engage young participants in research and to provide a unique perspective for researchers to communicate efficiently and transparently with youth participants. Meetings are held virtually the first Thursday of each month from 6 to 8 p.m.
For researchers: The primary purpose is to provide insight and feedback for researchers investigating questions that pertain to the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults. The group typically meets during the school year via zoom on the first Thursday of every month from 6 to 8 p.m. Researchers have 30 or 60 minutes to present and receive feedback from members.
Contact cayah@pitt.edu if you are a researcher interested in presenting.
For youth:
If you are interested in joining YRAB as a member, email cayah@chp.edu.