Establishing Community-Based Research Networks

Project Summary The purpose of this project is to build capacity for community-engaged research (CEnR) and patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). We will mentor nurses and community stakeholders to methodically and progressively guide the development of community networks in multiple sites across Pennsylvania, linked through their affiliation with the Penn State College of Nursing. Stakeholders will be educated to assume roles as equal partners involved in all phases of research, from identifying needs to conceptualization, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. We will facilitate relationships with academic researchers who are poised to conduct CEnR/PCOR and will prepare the community networks to secure funding for collaborative projects. This project will accelerate high-impact community-engaged research by creating/testing models to train research nurses and community stakeholders to create community-based networks that identify and work to resolve community health issues. The projected outcomes from this project are curriculum for educating/training clinical research nurses for CEnR; curriculum for educating/training community partners for active research roles; a replicable implementation model for training; and a replicable mentoring model to enhance community partnerships. Project collaborators include research nurse faculty members. More on This Project Project Resource: Summary Report of Curriculum Planning and Research Nurse Participant Conference Project Resource: Mentoring Update