MCW Community Engagement Core Implementation Initiative

Establishing a centralized resource within MCW to advance community-engaged research

Full Project Name:MCW Community Engagement Core Implementation InitiativePrincipal Investigator:Syed Ahmed, MD, MPH, DrPH, FAAFP, Family and Community MedicineCo-Investigator:Zeno Franco, PhD, Family and Community Medicine; David A. Nelson, PhD, Family and Community Medicine; Leslie Ruffalo, PhD, MS, Family and Community MedicineAward Amount:$2,399,420

Award Date

October2015

Project Duration:60 months

Project Description Narrative:

Community-engaged research is critical to addressing racial, ethnic, socioeconomic and environmental health disparities. To support MCW in advancing its work in community-engaged research, this project aims to establish a centralized, transformative academic resource to enhance MCW's expertise, knowledge, and practices.

Goals include: Strengthened MCW expertise in community-engaged research through educational opportunities and mentoring, support of promising ideas in community-engaged research through seed grants, increased success in extramural funding for community-engaged research through grant support and assistance, and increased community capacity for engaged research

Outcomes & Lessons Learned:

Established MCW Community Engagement Core to create an accessible, organized selection of experts and training services to address complex, multi-dimensional community health needs and centralize resources and knowledge in community-engaged research
Leveraged initial seed funding for the development of an interactive repository to enhance dissemination and collaboration for research and scholarship in CE called the Community Engagement Learning Repository (CELR)
Hosted annual conferences with the Office of Community Engagement, providing hundreds of attendees from various sectors with opportunities to deepen learning, foster connections, learn best practices, and recognize exemplary efforts
Launched Community Engaged Scholars Program, a year-long mentor award program aimed to build capacity for community-engaged research
Developed and launched the Community Engaged Scholars Mentoring Network, a year-long, cohort-based, individualized experience for faculty and researchers interested in building capacity in community engagement and community engaged research
Developed and hosted the Community Engaged Scholars Immersion Program, which offered nine researchers from the US and Canada an opportunity to learn from staff at community-based organizations in Milwaukee and staff at MCW about community engagement and social determinants of health
Launched Health Science Square (HSS) events, bringing together MCW and community-based organizations, including a series of Community Based Participatory Research Roundtables
Offered numerous community engagement education opportunities for medical and pharmacy students through Interprofessional Immersion Experiences
Helped to facilitate community-academic research partnerships through a Community Engaged Seed Grants program
Reported over 600 collaborations/touchpoints with academic and community partners through consultations, mentoring, grant writing, manuscript development, and involvement in various CE Core programs
Community Engagement Core faculty and staff reported 66 publications and gave 181 presentations at local, regional, national, and international outlets