Building community-centered health research capacity in a Tribal college setting: Salish Kootenai College NARCH

American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities are increasingly leading their own research and health initiatives to address health promotion and disease prevention efforts. Salish Kootenai College (SKC) proposes to use this NARCH R34 Planning Grant to lay the groundwork for a Native American Research Center for Health (SKC NARCH) that is locally driven, scientifically rigorous, and grounded in the health-related customs, characteristics, and perspectives of community members. Through this grant, we will: Identify research priorities and NARCH Components (e.g., Research Projects, Career Enhancement) through community engagement and input. Assess and strengthen SKC’s administrative and workforce capacity to support an Administrative Core and other components of a future S06 NARCH application. Build relationships with collaborators and advisors who share our commitment to health research. Our approach combines community-based participatory research (CBPR) with structured tools such as the Indigenous Evaluation Framework. The outcome will be Our Story — SKC’s vision and agenda for research and training in health and wellbeing — and a clear plan to submit a competitive NARCH S06 proposal in 2027.