Community Engagement Core

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section Longstanding differences in health outcomes across communities are the result of a complex interconnected set of social, environmental, and health-system factors. Improving these outcomes requires meaningful partnerships across stakeholders that operate from community-based and community engagement principles. North Carolina Central University’s (NCCU) RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) includes a Community Engagement Core (CEC) with a goal of strengthening community engagement and building strong partnerships with community stakeholders in all communities of North Carolina. During initial funding we were able to establish the CEC as a community-centered and trusted source with several key focus areas. In addition to our community facing efforts and activities, part of the community capacity building focused on researchers where we convened a group committed to thoughtful and ethical research, as seen in our ‘Research with Care’ brand, of ‘TEAM NCCU’. In this competitive renewal, through innovative community engagement efforts, the NCCU-CEC will continue to build and support community capacity, establish relationships with community-based organizations, and public health departments, be responsive to health needs, promote health outcomes research, increase research participation, and disseminate findings from RCHDR research projects.