Community perspectives on partnering with early-stage investigators in pilot research

This study explores the experiences of community partners who collaborated with early-stage academic investigators on a yearlong NIH-funded health disparities research initiative in Cleveland, Ohio. Anonymous surveys (n = 13), a focus group (n = 5), and one individual interview were conducted with the community partners to explore their experiences. Integrating the qualitative and quantitative data thematically, we identified three key themes that contribute to the success and sustainability of community-academic partnerships: (1) The project had a transformative impact on practice; (2) Partner relationships supported the collaboration (with three sub-themes: academic partners brought unique perspectives to practice; trust was built through communication, engagement, and inclusivity, and how reciprocal contributions built stronger, more equitable partnerships; and (3) Maintaining connection through program-supported networks involved monthly meetings with a larger group that bridge academic and community perspectives. However, the survey data also revealed that nearly half of survey respondents reported little to no change in their research interest or ability, suggesting variability in partners’ experiences and engagement. This gap could reflect differences in how much research experience partners had, how prepared their organizations were to use the findings, and/or the fact that their academic partners were still early in their careers. The findings contribute to the broader literature on community-engaged research, emphasizing the importance of power-sharing, trust, capacity-building, and communication in partnerships. They also indicate the value of and need for structured support to nurture partnerships, potentially especially when academic investigators are in the early stages. Community partners participated in a yearlong research partnership with early-career academics focused on health disparities. They participated in focus groups and completed surveys about their experiences. Community partners described the experience as transformative and noted the findings were informing programming, outreach, and policy decisions. They also emphasized the importance of trust, communication, supports, and valuing both partners’ contributions in building stronger, more equitable partnerships. Survey results revealed a mixed picture; nearly half of respondents reported little to no change in their research interest or ability. This might indicate differences in partners’ prior research experience(s), their organizations’ capacity to integrate findings, challenges in translating research into practice, and/or their academic partners’ early career status. While some partners saw immediate benefits, others might have needed more structured support to fully engage. It is also worth noting that interviews were done early in the program (in the first two cohorts) and the survey at the end, so it might be that the earlier cohorts were especially enthusiastic. It could also be that the transformative potential for the project was simply not realized across all projects. The findings suggest there might be a need for intentional supports within community-academic partnerships to ensure that research is relevant, accessible and actionable for all partners.