CBPR Partnership Academy

Check out the most recent 2023 cohort team profiles below.  This year we ran a 3 day course called Train-the -Trainers.  Teams who had been in Cohort 1-5 were able to come back and learn how to facilitate the CBPR Partnership Academy training in order to spread community based participatory research further within their own communities.  

Today’s complex public health problems demand a collaborative, engaged research approach, whereby those most impacted by health inequities have a genuine “voice” in pursuing solutions.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is widely recognized as an effective approach for understanding and addressing health inequities—and for giving communities an equitable stake in the process of doing so. The Detroit Urban Research Center established the CBPR Partnership Academy to support the increased use of a CBPR approach by developing enhanced skills and knowledge of community-academic research teams.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the CBPR Partnership Academy is a multi-faceted training and mentoring program designed for new community-academic partnerships that are interested in exploring and engaging in a CBPR approach to eliminate health inequities in their communities. Three academy cohorts completed the program between 2015 and 2018, and an additional year of funding provided an opportunity for all three cohorts to extend their participation. 

In May of 2020, the program received renewed funding from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and will continue to enhance the scientific research skills and capacity of early-stage and established investigators for the next four years. Click here to read about the renewal of the CBPR Partnership Academy.

Selected Accomplishments and Program Components

Academy opportunities and program components are as follows:

  • Attendance at a week-long, intensive course*
  • Monthly learning activities (e.g., webinars, mentoring calls, and online forums) during the one-year program period;
  • Non-competitive grant proposal writing and funding opportunity; and
  • National CBPR Partnership Academy Network (to engage in group discussions, share ideas, resources, and provide feedback). 

* Course location (in person or remote) will be decided based on COVID guidance.In each cohort, a total of 12, two-person teams are selected for the CBPR Partnership Academy through a competitive review process (click here for eligibility requirements). All program expenses are covered for participants, including tuition, travel, meals, lodging, materials, and ongoing learning activities. Those selected for the Partnership Academy work in pairs of one community member and one academic researcher.

Teams who participate in the Academy come away with enhanced capabilities, knowledge, and skills for creating, implementing, and maintaining a successful CBPR partnership using innovative methods in the behavioral and social sciences to make a positive difference in the health and well-being of their local populations.

Of the 94 participants from cohorts of the Partnership Academy from 2015-2020, all were pairs of one community and one academic partner new to CBPR. Participants reflected multiple dimensions of diversity, including 21 states, Washington D.C. and 2 tribal nations, 2/3 from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in research, multiple disciplines, and 81% of the researchers were women. Accomplishments of these partnerships included: grants funded; research studies conducted; and dissemination through presentations, publications, workshops, and courses.

Additional Program Information: 

Please see photos and profiles of selected teams below.

Team Bios – 2015-2016 CohortTeam Bios – 2016-2017 CohortTeam Bios – 2017-2018 CohortTeam Bios - 2020-2021 Cohort Team Bios - 2022 - 2023 CohortTeam Bios - 2023-2024 Cohort

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health

CCPH  is a non-profit organization based in the United States that aims to promote health equity and social justice through community and academic partnerships.CCPH Webinars are online seminars that are organized by the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health. These webinars cover a range of topics related to community-based participatory research, community-engaged scholarship, and community-based health promotion.

The webinars are designed to provide an opportunity for researchers, community organizations, and health professionals to learn about best practices and strategies for developing and sustaining effective partnerships between communities and academic institutions. They also provide a platform for networking and sharing ideas among participants

2022 - Pivoting for Success: Using Community-Based Participatory Research During the Twin Pandemics

On January 20, 2022, Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH), in partnership with the Detroit Urban Research Center, hosted a national webinar as part of the CBPR Partnership Academy. The twin pandemics known as COVID-19 and institutionalized racism have continued to shine light on the numerous inequities and disparities in communities across the world. As the pandemics continue with the rise of the Omicron variant, it is critical that we understand the essential pivots community and academic CBPR practitioners have implemented to advance the work towards health equity.  This virtual roundtable seeks to share best practices to overcome challenges and explore successes to rapidly develop new partnerships using a CBPR approach.

This webinar was facilitated by Al Richmond, MSW, Executive Director of CCPH. Panelists include CBPR Partnership Academy Cohort 2 community partner Ilima Ho-Lastimosa, MSW, MoA Community Coordinator UHM CTAHR Waimānalo Learning Center and Founder of God’s Country Waimānalo and MICEAL/CIVIC Steering Committee member E. Yvonne Lewis, Founding Director of the National Center for African American Health Consciousness.

Watch Recording Here:

2021 - From Practice to Policy Using a Community-Based Participatory Research Approach

On January 27, 2021, a CCPH webinar was sponsored by the Detroit Urban Research Center in partnership with Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH).

Speakers:

 

Promoting CBPR to Achieve Health Equity: The CBPR Partnership Academy Symposium

In May of 2019, the Detroit Urban Research Center (Detroit URC) was delighted to host a one-and-a-half day Symposium featuring participants in the CBPR Partnership Academy Network of Scholars. The Symposium, titled “Promoting Community-Based Participatory Research to Achieve Health Equity,” was held at U-M’s Detroit Center.

Attendees were drawn from three cohorts of teams in the Partnership Academy, each composed of 12 community-academic pairs that participated in the year-long program. The teams reflect multiple dimensions of diversity including 18 states, and 2 tribal nations, rural, urban, suburban and island communities with 68% from racial and ethnic groups underrepresented in research. 

The Symposium highlighted the work of Partnership Academy participants. Utilizing panel presentations, lightning talks, and poster presentations, teams shared their accomplishments and strategies in developing partnerships and implementing a wide range of CBPR projects - from designing culturally-grounded wellness programs to using digital storytelling to amplify community voices. In addition to formal opportunities to discuss issues and learn from each other in small groups, there were ample opportunities for networking and informal conversations. Keynote speakers included Al Richmond, MSW, Executive Director, Community Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH), founding member and past chair of the Community-Based Public Health Caucus and the National Community Based Organization Network; and Abdul El-Sayed, MD, PhD, Rhodes Scholar, physician, epidemiologist, public health expert, and progressive activist.

Publications, Presentations, & Posters:

  • Article: Results From the CBPR Partnership Academy Coombe, C. M., Schulz, A. J., Guluma, L., Allen, A. J., Gray, C., Brakefield-Caldwell, W., Guzman, J. R., Lewis, T. C., Reyes, A. G., Rowe, Z., Pappas, L. A., & Israel, B. A. (2020). Enhancing Capacity of Community–Academic Partnerships to Achieve Health Equity: Results From the CBPR Partnership Academy. Health Promotion Practice21(4), 552–563. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839918818830 PMID: 30596283
  • Article: Experiential Action Learning Pedagogy to Enhance CBPR Coombe, C. M., Schulz, A. J., Brakefield-Caldwell, W., Gray, C., Guzman, J. R., Kieffer, E. C., Lewis, T., Reyes, A. G., Rowe, Z., & Israel, B. A. (2020). Applying Experiential Action Learning Pedagogy to an Intensive Course to Enhance Capacity to Conduct Community-Based Participatory Research. Pedagogy in Health Promotion6(3), 168–182. https://doi.org/10.1177/2373379919885975

 

 

CBPR: Enhancing Capacity to Use Innovative Methodologies in the Behavioral and Social Sciences (the Enhance Program) is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award #1R25GM111837-01.

CBPR: Extending the Use of Innovative Methodologies in the Behavioral & Social Sciences (the Extend Program) is funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award #9R25ES031549-05.

Related materials do not necessarily represent views of NIH.