# RCMI Community Engagement Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON · 2024 · $412,054

## Abstract

Governed by the values of integrity and partnership, the Community Engagement Core (CEC) uses a broad 
base of community expertise and guidance that will interact with the other Cores and research projects that 
comprise the RCMI to enable: (1) the prioritization and conduct of research that addresses community-guided 
health concerns; and (2) the rapid dissemination and implementation of research findings to improve health 
outcomes. The CEC will work closely with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) and Community Research 
Advisory Board (CRAB) to: (1) assess community health priorities; (2) guide research emphases and design; 
(3) enable and sustain a trusted and contributory presence in communities; (4) empower community members 
to be agents of change; and (5) guide the application of research findings toward meaningful and healthpromoting 
community initiatives. CEC Specific Aims are to: (1) Facilitate collaborative and sustainable 
relationships between researchers and community members/stakeholders to enable a bi-directional “exchange 
of information” that augments the potential impact of research findings for achieving population health; (2) Build 
and nurture trust within communities to enable the recruitment and retention of participants in research; and (3) 
Enhance the translation of research into practice through the timely and tailored dissemination of research 
findings to key stakeholders including community partners, health care organizations, policymakers, and the 
scientific community. CEC Specific Aims will be guided in inquiry and action by key recommendations to 
achieving community-based solutions to health challenges1 and via an Interactive Systems Framework2,3 for 
dissemination and implementation. The CEC will leverage and expand extant infrastructure and ongoing 
community partnerships to serve as the hub for community-engaged research at the University of Houston.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10845601
- **Project number:** 5U54MD015946-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Lorraine R Reitzel
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $412,054
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-08 → 2026-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10845601

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10845601, RCMI Community Engagement Core (5U54MD015946-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10845601. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*