Community Engagement Core

NIH RePORTER · NIH · P30 · $242,514 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

ABSTRACT (Community Engagement Core) Consistent with the Michigan Center on Lifestage Environmental Exposures and Disease (M-LEEaD) theme, Community Engagement Core (CEC) activities focus on linking environmental health priorities identified by community members and decision makers with the expertise of Michigan Center on Lifestage Environmental Exposures and Disease (M-LEEaD) researchers on environmental exposures over lifestages and their implications for health. The overarching vision of the CEC is to increasing understanding among researchers of community environmental health priorities to inform center research, expanding the use of environmental health science in decision making, and promote scientific understanding of effective strategies to assure multidirectional communication and effective engagement. We seek to foster multidirectional dialogue among community members including youth, policy makers and public health decision-makers and Center researchers to enhance awareness, understanding and the application of scientific knowledge about the role of environmental exposures in disease through translation of community concerns to center scientists and translation of findings to community member and decision makers. CEC activities focus on three primary audiences: organizations and community leaders with capacity to reach residents in Southeast Michigan, particularly Detroit; youth from communities experiencing disproportionate exposures and impacts, representing the next generation of environmental health scientists, advocates and decision makers; and current policy and public health decision makers in at the local, state and regional, levels. We will accomplish our vision by: 1) enhancing, expanding, and sustaining partnerships with stakeholders; 2) facilitating communication between communities experiencing excess risk, policy and public health decision makers, and M-LEEaD researchers; 3) increasing access to environmental public health research among communities experiencing excess health risk, policy makers and public health decision makers; and 4) advancing the field of community engagement through evaluation of CEC process and outcomes, dissemination of results locally and nationally, and promotion of participatory models for national implementation. CEC encompasses rigorous evaluation methodology to further the science of participatory engagement and research translation. The proposed vision and activities maintain and strengthen multidirectional dialogue across investigators with expertise in physical and social environments and health with youth, adults and organizations representing environmentally exposed communities, and policy and public health decision makers. This dialogue will inform environmental health research across the lifestage and improve its translation to inform environmental health interventions and policy decisions.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10393187
Project number
2P30ES017885-10A1
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
Principal Investigator
AMY J SCHULZ
Activity code
P30
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2022
Award amount
$242,514
Award type
2
Project period
2011-04-15 → 2027-03-31