Researchers from the Cancer Communication Research Center and Washington University in St. Louis developed, implemented, and tested the Make Research Matter (MRM) website.  MRM is an online toolkit that assists developers of public health and health services research interventions increase the D&I potential of their interventions. The toolkit was developed building on the expertise of D&I researchers and existing literature about D&I, and was funded by the National Cancer Institute. Usability testing with potential users was conducted to refine the content and format of the toolkit.

The MRM website consists of four main tools:

> Planning Tool-an interactive survey which provides a tailored report that aids researchers with their dissemination plan;

> Resource Library-a searchable database consisting of a compilation of D&I related articles from multiple sources which is updated monthly;

> Narrative Library-a freely accessible online library containing video vignettes and transcripts with junior and senior D&I experts of “how-to” knowledge to D&I problems;

> Glossary-containing over 100 definitions of terminology used in D&I health research. Additionally, users of the MRM website can learn more about current publications and presentations, and current news related to D&I.

The Online Dissemination and Implementation Planning Tool is one of the first collective efforts of this group, and D-RIG members served as informal advisors for this project.

The Institute for Community Research (ICR) uses the tools of research to build community capacity and foster collaborative community-based partnerships. By gathering information in partnership with residents, we are helping communities locally and globally to ask better questions and get better answers about the complex problems they face. We believe this process is the best way to support personal growth, broaden community leadership and foster robust democratic institutions.

The Institute for Community Research offers a variety of resources for community residents, academics, community-based organizations and others.  ICR disseminates information, creates dialogue, showcases artists, and helps to create an interactive space for you to be involved in discussing research results and the issues our community partners face, through Public Programming, conferences, and other resources.

For example, their publications provide detailed information about our programs, projects and research results. We also offer some publications for sale. For example, our participatory action research curricula for girls and youth provide a step-by-step guide in using participatory action research as a leadership, empowerment and skill-building tool. And the Ethnographer’s Toolkit is a series of books that takes you through the multiple, complex steps of doing ethnographic research in simple, reader-friendly language.

http://www.incommunityresearch.org/about/about.htm

The Alliance for Research in Chicagoland Communities (ARCC) is a program of the IPHAM Center for Community Health, in collaboration with extramural partners. Guided by a steering committee of community- and faith -based organizations, faculty at Northwestern University, and public organizations, they support Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) by providing seed grants, capacity-building workshops and one-on-one technical assistance, partnership facilitation, monthly information and resource updates, advocacy for supportive institutional policies, and other activities.

The ARCC Resource Directory is an online website providing access to materials and resources to help interested community and faith-based organizations and academic partners to learn about how they can build capacity to conduct community-engaged research and support building, strengthening, and sustaining their partnership.

**Click here to access a brief guided video tour of the website.**

http://arccresources.net/

In 2009, the University Of New Mexico School Of Medicine established a Center for Participatory Research. The mission of the Center for Participatory Research is to support a collaborative environment within UNM that is aligned with core values of community partnership, equity, and participatory engagement in order to co-create new knowledge and translate existing knowledge to improve quality of life among New Mexico’s diverse populations.

CPR supports networks of research with community partners addressing health disparities, through a participatory and partnership approach. CPR seeks to develop future researchers by creating distributed learning opportunities for community and academic partners, using web-based, telehealth, and other multiple site transmission technologies.  Some of the leading scientists and community scholars work within the center to promote community-based participatory research.  Several videos of previous trainings and conference presentations have been archived and are accessible from their website.

University of New Mexico Center for Participatory Research

Principles of Community Engagement (Second Edition) provides public health professionals, health care providers, researchers, and community-based leaders and organizations with both a science base and practical guidance for engaging partners in projects that may affect them. This 188-page compendium was developed by the Clinical Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Community Engagement Key Function Committee. The second edition provides more detailed practical information about the application of the principles, and it responds to changes in our larger social context, including the increasing use of “virtual communities” and the growing interest in community-engaged health research.  The principles of engagement can be used by people in a range of roles and provides tools for those who are leading efforts to improve population health through community engagement. This resource provided a detailed exploration of key issues in community engagement in research.  It is useful as a reference guide and educational text for both novice and experienced learners.

Principles of Community Engagement 2nd edition

From the Table of Contents:

Chapter 1:  Definitions and Organizing Concepts

Chapter 2: Principles of Community Engagement

Chapter 3: Successful Examples from the Field

Chapter 4:  Managing Organizational Support for Community Engagement

Chapter 5: Challenges in Improving Community Engagement in Research

Chapter 6: The Value of Social Networking In Community Engagement

Chapter 7:  Program Evaluation and Evaluating Community Engagement

Chapter 8:  Summary