Successful translation of science into improved population health requires community support and involvement at all levels – volunteers participating in clinical trials, community leaders being woven into decision-making processes, and community-based organizations and the scientific community working together to push for better health policy.
CTSI-CN actively engages the community in research through long-term, bi-directional partnerships with clinical and community organizations in the Washington, DC, area. Our experts offer guidance and resources to help our investigators employ scientific processes that are equitable and designed to lead to sustainable changes in community health.
Community Engagement
The CTSI-CN Community Engagement Coalition is a diverse group of community leaders that meets regularly to advise and guide CTSI-CN leadership on how best to collaboratively involve community partners in the research process in a bi-directional, co-learning environment. The CE Coalition facilitates linkages between community members and researchers at CNH and GW at all stages of the investigative process, from identifying research topics to participant recruitment to dissemination.
Our Community Engagement team hosts regular events designed to bring the scientific community together with the communities they serve. These events include:
- Science Cafes: Casual gatherings designed to promote open dialogue between researchers, community members, and social scientists. Researchers demystify what they do, how they do it, and why they think it will help local residents. Community members probe, debate, and share ideas that come from living the experience.
- View DC: Guided tours through Washington, DC, that highlight community-based research efforts, promote different neighborhood assets, and provide context for the health inequities in Washington, DC.
To learn about upcoming events like these, sign up for CTSI-CN emails here.
For investigators and research teams looking to increase community participation in their research design and conduct, our Community Engagement experts are available for consultations. Email CTSINavigator@childrensnational.org for more information.
Request a Community Engagement consultation here.
Request a Community Engagement consultation here.