Institutionalizing Community-engaged Translational Science in an Academic Institution: A Community Stakeholder-Driven Process

Background: Although studies have described the power imbalance in academic-community partnerships, little has been published describing how community-based participatory research-informed practitioners can change academic institutions to promote more effective community-engaged research. Objectives: This paper describes a university-funded community-based participatory project in which academic researchers and their community partners worked together to articulate, develop and advocate for institutionalizing best practices for equitable partnerships throughout the university. Methods: Findings derive from a collaborative ethnographic process evaluation. Results: The study describes the integral steps proposed to promote equitable community-university research collaboration, the process by which these principles and best practice recommendations were developed, and the institutional change outcomes of this process. Conclusions: When universities make even small investments toward promoting and nurturing community-engaged research, the quality of the science can be enhanced to advance health equity and community-university relationships can improve, particularly if based on trust, mutual respect, and openness to accomplish a shared vision.