Community engagement means working collaboratively with people and groups affiliated by geography and special or similar interests to address issues affecting the well-being of those people.
For researchers, community engagement is about building the relationships between and among community members, researchers and the university so we can engage more people as active participants in studies and clinical trials.
Our primary research goal is to engage more participants.
Other community engagement goals include:
The CTSA Community Engagement Core engages the community in clinical research, works to create a bidirectional communication system between researchers and community partners, helps to recruit and retain special populations for clinical trials, and works to expand community-based research opportunities at the university.
Request a consultation with the Community Engagement Core
Community engagement can improve the way studies are carried out, making it easier for community members to participate in research. Literature shows that people are more likely to be receptive to, and reap greater benefits from, research that involves them personally. If health is socially determined, then health issues are best addressed by engaging community partners who can bring their own perspectives and understandings of community life and health issues to a study.
Our core is dedicated to finding the level of community engagement that will work best for individual investigators, their research and the community at large. The Community Engagement Core offers a wide range of services and insights, including:
Consultations with the Community Engagement Core can be requested through the online CTSA request portal.
You also may contact any of the team members directly regarding your research needs.
| Team Member | Contact Information | Speciality Area(s) |
| Laurene Tumiel-Berhalter, PhD, Core Director | (716) 816-7278 | Mentorship, Project Development, Integration of Community into Research, Recruitment Assistance |
| Megan Crowley, MPA, Community Research Facilitator | (716) 816-7227 | Project Development, Integration of Community into Research |
| Danielle Balling, Community Recruitment Liaison | (716) 816-7298 | Recruitment Assistance, Integration of Community into Research |
Visit CTSA Community Engagement Core for more information on the services they provide.
* Portions of this section were exerted from Principles of Community Engagement, Second Edition www.atsdr.cdc.gov/communityengagement.
