Sponsored by the Institute of Translation Medicine (ITM), this 4-hour seminar series targets early-career investigators conducting community-engaged research. Attendees affiliated with ITM will receive assistance with developing community partnerships, and be eligible to apply for $30,000 pilot awards towards direct costs beginning in summer 2024.

1. Introduction to Opportunities (January 12, 2024, 8–9:30 a.m.)

This 90-minute virtual and synchronous seminar will summarize how community-engaged research projects address ITM’s priority of health equity. The seminar will briefly review basics of community-based participatory research (CBPR) projects that are rooted by a focal health concern (e.g., long COVID, diabetes, hypertension, or clinical depression). The CBPR team represents a partnership among health researchers and people with lived experience. People with lived experience have (1) a personal past or current history of the focal condition and (2) are from a diverse community (e.g., ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age). The seminar provides directions on how to assemble and engage a team of partners grounded in a focal health condition. It summarizes step-by-step guidelines to do CBPR. The seminar ends with a review of the request for applications (RFA) governing this grant opportunity; the formal call will be released January 22, 2024.

2. Virtual Match Between Investigators and Community Leaders (January 17, 2024, 6–8 p.m.)

ITM is reaching out to a separate group of people with lived experience who are community leaders. Community-engaged research rests on a CBPR team of partners among health researchers and people with lived experience (community Leaders) working on a focal health condition. This virtual and synchronous session provides an opportunity for investigators and community leaders with similar concerns to meet and form teams. This is optional: Investigators and community leaders can form teams separate from tis process.

3. Release Request for Application for Community Engage Research Proposals (January 22, 2024)

4. Inspiring Change Proposal Development Workshop (February 2, 2024)

This day-long in-person seminar is for health researchers and community leaders for a comprehensive review of CBPR. The seminar will be conducted at Galvin Tower, Illinois Institute of Technology (10 W 35th Street, Chicago). The review will correspond with the deliverables to be addressed in the RFA.

5. Proposals Due (March 15, 2024)

6. Awardees Announced (May 1, 2024)

Sponsored by the Institute of Translation Medicine (ITM), this 4-hour seminar series targets early-career investigators conducting community-engaged research. Attendees affiliated with ITM will receive assistance with developing community partnerships, and be eligible to apply for $30,000 pilot awards towards direct costs beginning in summer 2024.

7. Funded Projects Begin (July 1, 2024)

Apply below by Jan 8, 2024: https://iitresearchrs.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_e8trWTfpJIrwHI2

For more information, contact Lindsay Sheehan (lsheehan@IIT.edu) or Pat Corrigan (corrigan@IIT.edu).