Researchers
Researchers play a pivotal role in ensuring the work of UNC Lineberger addresses the cancer care needs of North Carolinians. Community engagement is the meaningful involvement of the community in research, clinical care and programs. Researchers should consider community engagement in their projects because:
It enables us to better understand and serve the population’s needs, making our research more timely and relevant.
It allows for increased funding as grant proposals are increasingly asking for intentional COE plans.
Community engagement connects us to our mission – to serve the entire state as NC’s only public NCI designated cancer centerHow to Engage the Community
During the Research Idea Generation Period of the Study
Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) “is a collaborative research approach that is designed to ensure and establish structures for participation by communities affected by the issue being studied, representatives of organizations, and researchers in all aspects of the research process to improve health and well-being through taking action” (1).
A CBPR design lends itself to having a design that will be relevant to the effected community, and having materials and interventions that are culturally humble to the targeted community.
(1) AHRQ Activities Using Community-Based Participatory Research to Address Health Care Disparities. Content last reviewed April 2020. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://www.ahrq.gov/research/findings/factsheets/minority/cbprbrief/index.html
Being able to generate research questions and ideas alongside community members helps ensure that your research is relevant to our populations needs. An advisory board can be made up of patients, caregivers, general community members, etc.
The UNC Lineberger Community Advisory Board is a resource available to researchers.
Researchers may also consider creating their own advisory board for their projects. The COE office can provide guidance on how to build your own CAB.
The COE office can connect you to patient and community advocates who are able to provide feedback on your research idea. To request an advocate contact our office.
Proposal Period
Gathering information about our catchment area will ensure that your research is relevant to the needs of our communities.
COE has collected cancer related data along with data related to social determinants of health and North Carolina demographics. Visit our Who we Serve Page for data.
The Patient and community Engagement to Educate Researchers (PEER) group provides a connection between patients/community and researchers.
The PEER group can offer trainings to you, your teams, and classes.
To learn more about the training or to schedule a training contact Patty Spears.
During the proposal period, patients, caregivers and community members can review proposals before submission to ensure their perspective is reflected and that the proposal is relevant to needs.
The UNC Lineberger Community Advisory Board is a resource available to researchers.
Researchers may also consider creating their own advisory board for their projects. The COE office can provide guidance on how to build your own CAB.
The COE office can connect you to patient and community advocates who are able to provide feedback on your proposal and ensure their perspective and needs are reflected. To request an advocate contact our office.
During the Study
Researchers should ensure that their Community Advisory Boards (CAB) are regularly updated and are consulted if study needs to be modified.
The UNC Lineberger Community Advisory Board is a resource available to researchers.
Researchers may also consider creating their own advisory board for their projects. The COE office can provide guidance on how to build your own CAB.
- Are there non-academic partners to help conduct elements of the research? (ex. recruitment assistance)
- Are there students from HBCU’s that could be involved in the lab?
The COE office can connect you to patient and community advocates who are able to provide feedback on your study, review public-facing materials and protocols, and ensure their perspective and needs are reflected. To request an advocate contact our office.
After the Study
Does the study have potential to impact policy or clinical practice in our catchment area?
Consider presenting to a non-academic / lay audience, in particular the population that was involved or effected by the study. (ex. Dr. Channing Der lab hosts and “Open Lab” for community partners and others interested in pancreatic research).
Consider presenting where non-academic audiences also attend (ex. American Cancer Society Community Advocacy Network).
The COE office can also help develop a dissemination plan for sharing findings.
Patients, caregivers, and community members can be involved in sharing the findings of a study. They can point to who would be good audiences to hear the findings of a study, and they can help disperse the information. They may also help ensure that presentation is ready for a lay audience.
The COE office can connect you to patient and community advocates who are able to provide feedback on your findings, review public-facing materials and ensure their perspective and needs are reflected. To request an advocate contact our office.
Contact us
Are you interested in building a collaborative partnership with patients and/or community? Our team can talk with you about where you see the community interacting with you, help you find community members that have similar interests, and give guidance on how to approach them to ensure cultural humility.
Please complete our Contact Form to reach out to our office.