Community Responsive Research Program

The overall goal of WashU-ACCERT is to advance cancer control equity through community-engaged multi- level research that addresses the impact of social determinants of health on cancer control outcomes. The Community Responsive Research Program is, and will remain, driven by community input and leadership in its

priorities, methods, and approaches to engaged research. Our objective is to support community responsive research that is co-led by university and community partners. We engage community partners in all phases of our work, including selection, conduct, and dissemination of research. To develop our Center and this

Program, we used our innovative community Think Tank approach where community members identify their priorities around social determinants of health, cancer control outcomes, and capacity building. In direct response this input, we developed our social determinants of health multi-level intervention trial (I-CARE) and

selected two community-responsive, community-engaged, and co-led research projects for inclusion in this Component. We will leverage recurring Think Tanks to identify future funding priorities around social determinants and cancer, aligned with our Center theme around access to health and healthcare. We commit

to co-leadership, engagement, growing capacity of faculty and community, sharing back of information and resources. The Aims of the Community Responsive Projects Program are to: Aim 1. Conduct two community responsive projects starting in year 1 that address social determinants of health, health inequity, and respond to community priorities around cancer.

Aim 2. Using our Center’s long-established equity-oriented community-participatory process, identify priorities, solicit and select responsive research, and support cancer prevention and control research projects. Aim 3. In collaboration with the Administrative and RMMDM Cores, evaluate the engagement

process, alignment with Center theme, research outcomes, and impact. We will work closely with the Research Methods, Measures, and Data Management (RMMDM) Core to administer and facilitate this research, with the support of the Administrative Core. This Program reflects a confluence of expertise in research, cancer control, health equity, social determinants, and community health

coming from established and early-stage faculty investigators, and long-time and new community partners. Our process for engaging community in identifying research priorities, collaborating on project development, selection, conduct, and dissemination is both novel and time-tested. The Program is co-led by an established

investigator, early stage investigator, and two community partners, and supported by the Center’s Community Advisory Board. Our long-term goal in this Research Program is to create a pipeline of impactful community- engaged cancer control research that responds to priorities identified by community members.