The Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Program supports and promotes engaged research between Chicago community organizations and academic partners that respects community input and builds upon the strengths of involving community partners in all aspects of research. The program’s goals and objectives are jointly defined by a steering committee comprised of representatives from community organizations and faculty and staff from NUCATS. The program is committed to enhancing the knowledge and facilitating the translation of research into improved community health and developing long-term relationships with community groups that reflect a shared commitment to collaborative research that is mutually beneficial to all partners involved. Community-Engaged Research Center at Northwestern University Announces Funds to Community-Academic Partnerships to Improve Community Health The Community-Based Participatory Research Program (CBPR-P), one of two programs of the Northwestern University Clinical and Translational Sciences (NUCATS) Institute Community-Engaged Research Center (CERC), is seeking proposals for their seed grant program to fund partnerships between community-based organizations and Northwestern University academic partners for up to $20,000. The CBPR-P supports and promotes engaged research between Chicago community organizations and academic partners that respects community input and builds upon the strengths of involving community partners in all aspects of research. The Seed Grant Program will fund projects that are consistent with CBPR-P’s mission to improve community health and build stronger community-academic partnerships. Two types of grants will be awarded: 1) Partnership building grants to support partnership development for newly developing or potential partnerships between community-based organizations and Northwestern University academic partners; and 2) CBPR implementation grants to support participatory research projects between more established partnerships between community-based organizations and Northwestern University academic partners. The criteria for the grants were jointly defined by a steering committee comprised of representatives from community organizations and faculty and staff from NUCATS. Proposals must be submitted by a team that includes the participation of at least one community-based organization (CBO) and at least one full-time NU graduate student, fellow, or faculty member (regular or adjunct). Each team must have one person designated as the “Community co-principal investigator (co-PI)” and one as the “Academic co-PI.” The co-PIs take leadership on the research project and ensure adequate representation of both community and scientific perspectives. Community co-PIs must be from CBO partners serving as members of the CBPR-P steering committee. Community and academic partners are encouraged to contact CBPR-P staff for assistance in identifying and connecting with potential partners. Unless there is an existing relationship, interested academic partners should not contact Steering Committee CBO partners directly but should solicit CBPR-P staff support. Letters of Interest are due by May 5, 2008. Full applications must be submitted by June 2, 2008. To learn more about the seed grant program and access the Request for Proposals, visit the CERC website at http://www.nucats.northwestern.edu/centers/cerc/. Grant Information Workshop- April 10, 2008, 2-5 pm: CBPR-P staff will be offering a workshop to give community partners and Northwestern University academic partners an overview of the Seed Grant program. This in-person workshop will provide an introduction to CBPR and an orientation to the grant application process. While attending the workshop is not required for submitting a proposal, it is strongly encouraged. To RSVP for this session, contact or j-kauper-brown@northwestern.edu or josefina-alvarez@northwestern.edu. | 
