Community-Based Participatory Research Training

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach to research that involves community members or recipients of interventions during all phases of the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each member of the research team brings.

This free course, sponsored by the UR CTSI and Center for Community Health & Prevention, educates University of Rochester researchers (faculty, trainees and students) and community members (typically from community-based organizations) in community-engaged research. It introduces CBPR principles from the foundations, to communication, funding and sustainability and fosters relationship-building among participants. Through the program, participants will form collaborative teams to develop and submit proposals for the CBPR Pathway to Pilot Awards.

Thank you for your interest in the CBPR program. Registration for the 2023-2024 course cohort is now closed. Please contact us if you would like information about future courses.

Program Objectives

By the end of the program, participants will:

• Understand the rationale for a CBPR approach in addressing health research.
• Describe the conceptual and philosophical roots of community-based participatory health research.
• Understand and apply the core principles of CBPR in developing, maintaining and evaluating community-academic research partnerships.
• Evaluate the importance of governance structure, cultural humility, and participatory evaluation in the design and implementation of CBPR as strategies to address power dynamics and ethical issues appropriately.
• Explain and experience the process and challenges of forming and maintaining CBPR partnerships with communities.
• Assess the ethical challenges in co-conducting research with communities.
• Identify and discuss the benefits and challenges involved in CBPR and options for overcoming these challenges.
• Explore CBPR as a strategy to address social justice, policy or systems-change issues.

When and Where

The CBPR program will take place September, 2023 through mid-March, 2024. The course will be a hybrid model with some classes taking place in person and some online through Zoom (please reference schedule for location). In-person classes will take place at the Center for Community Health & Prevention, 46 Prince St, Rochester, NY 14607. Please note: accommodations to participate via Zoom can be for any/all sessions for individuals who live 35 or more miles from the Center for Community Health & Prevention or for individuals that have COVID-19, or have been exposed to COVID-19.  Attendance at all meeting and presentation times is expected for participation.

Course Schedule

Please contact Laura Sugarwala if you are interested in learning more about the program and participation.

Past Graduates and Projects

2019

Collaborating with Caregivers: Factors that Influence the Decision to Begin Mental Health Treatment for Children in Urban Communities
Aparajita “Tuma” Kuriyan, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow of Psychiatry at URMC; Alicia Evans, independent community consultant with LeGray Dynamic; and Carlos Santana, community organizer for Action for a Better Community, Inc.

The Prevalence of Loneliness in Minority Communities with Chronic Medical Conditions
Allen Anandarajah, M.D., associate professor of Allergy, Immunology & Rheumatology at URMC; Nancy Shelton, senior consultant of Cultural Competence and Health Equity at Coordinated Care Services, Inc.; and Angela Wollschlager, community outreach project lead and patient engagement specialist at Medical Solutions, Inc.

Faith-based Interventions to Support Health-Promoting Behaviors and Reduce Overweight and Obesity Rates in African American Families
Ruth Brook Wards, Aenon Baptist Church, and Kaydean Harris, RN, School of Nursing

Other graduates included: Ms. Jean Clark and Caroline Silva, Ph.D.