Connecting Community to Research

The Connecting Community to Research Toolkit allows any community engaged research partnership to customize and deliver the training themselves.

Click here to fill out a short form and download the Connecting Community to Research toolkit.

Research Wheel
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute Engagement Award:
Building Skills to Partner in Research

In 8 months, we have trained nearly 100 people of all different races, ranging from ages 18-90, with more than 8 different opportunities…

Too often, underrepresented communities feel that clinical research is not being done for their benefit or for the benefit of their families and neighbors. Through funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the Connecting Community to Research (CCR) program trains community members to partner with research happening in their own backyards.

In an effort to close the gap between researchers, patients, and community members from across Boston, we adapted existing training programs to give community members the tools they need to actively participate in research projects. The goal of the training is to create advocates and advisers who can partner with researchers to improve methods and help to disseminate results back to the community.

The CCR training provides attendees with a basic introduction to research methods and skills around telling their story.

Not only do we train, we give participants opportunities to put these tools to use. By partnering with researchers, trainees have become patient advisers, reviewed grant applications, and serve on Institutional Review Boards.

Jennifer Pamphile presenting CCR at UMass Community Engagement Symposium March 2017
Jennifer Pamphile presenting CCR at UMass Community Engagement Symposium March 2017

Interested in finding out more? Want to request a training for your group? Contact ccr@bmc.org or call 617-638-8036.