Detroit URC partners Zachary Rowe and Angela Reyes, were among the nearly 100 community leaders from across the U.S. that convened on December 5-7, 2011 in Boston for Achieving the Promise of Community-Engaged Health Disparities Research: A National Community Partner Forum. The forum, designed "by and for" leaders from community-based organizations, aimed to support efforts to initiate and conduct research in partnership with universities. 

During the forum participants focused on 4 priority areas for action: 1) community review of proposed research, 2) governance structures for research, 3) community engagement in all phases of the research process and 4) funding community infrastructure needed to conduct research.

Both Rowe and Reyes were chosen to take on leadership roles in national workgroups that were formed at the meeting. Reyes is leading the Training and Mentoring Workgroup while Rowe will be heading up the Leadership Development workgroup. 

The forum ended on a high note as attendees made recommendations,  deepened relationships and pledged to re-convene in December 2012 in Washington DC.  A number of local and regional community partner forums are in development, including one that will take place March 7-8 in New York City. This event was co-sponsored by Community-Campus Partnerships for Health (CCPH) and the Center for Community Health Education, Research & Service with funding from the National Institute of Minority Health & Health Disparities.

Visit the forum webpage to view the forum agenda, planning committee info, participant bios, photos, evaluation report and slide show. 

Scholarships available for Detroit-based organizations!

If you are are affiliated with a community-based organization in Detroit and want to build your organization's capactity to engage in collaborative health research, you may be eligible to apply for a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Summer Short Course Scholarship through the Detroit URC.  Once a year scholarships are provided to members of community-based organizations and the local health department in Detroit to attend the week-long summer short course entitled, "Methods in Community-Based Participatory Research for Health". Find out more about the program by clicking here.