# Training Promotoras/Community Health Workers using Culturally and Linguistically-Appropriate Research Best Practices

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2022 · $568,136

## Abstract

Project Summary
Our proposed project, Training Promotoras/Community Health Workers using Culturally and Linguistically-
Appropriate Research Best Practices, has the objective to develop, demonstrate, and disseminate culturally
and linguistically sensitive training to improve the translation of clinical research in underserved communities.
This project is a partnership between CTSAs at the University of Michigan, University of Florida, and University
of California-Davis, three CTSA hubs with a network of community partners in diverse areas with large
numbers of Hispanic and African American individuals. Community health workers (CHWs), embedded leaders
within underserved communities, have an important role supporting research at community sites and are
increasingly being incorporated into research teams for their ability to reduce barriers in translation, particularly
in regards to research on health disparities. However, problems with CHWs understanding and application of
research best practices exist. Training for CHWs in research best practices is variable, not tailored to the
research role of CHWs, and not designed to train individuals who work in culturally or linguistically diverse
communities. These training deficits hamper formation of integrated teams of researchers and community
partners and miss the opportunity to create research advocates at community sites. Our foundational work
involved the development of the first-of-its-kind, competency-based online training in Social and Behavioral
Research Best Practices for clinical research professionals, currently being disseminated nationally. A critical
need still exists to adapt and broaden training of the CHW workforce to reduce barriers in research translation
in underserved communities. To address this need, we propose development of a culturally and linguistically
sensitive online research best practices course to train CHW “Champions” and a community-academic
partnership model to deliver a mentored, peer-led program at community sites to provide competency-based
research best practices education for community partners. Our long-term goal is to train CHWs using a
competency-based, culturally and linguistically sensitive training program that includes easily-accessible online
training resources available in both English and Spanish for use by research teams and CHWs. Our diverse
group of stakeholders including CHWs, promotoras, clinical research professionals, community members, and
regional and national leaders in organizations representing CHWs and researchers will ensure representation
of many perspectives in all aspects of project development and dissemination. Our specific aims are to 1)
develop and evaluate a research best practices online course for CHWs, 2) demonstrate effectiveness of
research best practices training for CHWs at community sites, and 3) disseminate the course throughout the
CTSA consortium and beyond.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10469697
- **Project number:** 5U01TR003409-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Sergio A. Aguilar-Gaxiola
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $568,136
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-15 → 2024-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10469697

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10469697, Training Promotoras/Community Health Workers using Culturally and Linguistically-Appropriate Research Best Practices (5U01TR003409-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10469697. Licensed CC0.

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