# Community Engagement Core

> **NIH NIH P01** · FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $19,073

## Abstract

Community engaged participatory research (CBPR) is defined as the process of working collaboratively 
with groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interests, or similar situations affecting their well- 
being. Dissemination of research findings with stakeholders and community members is a significant part of 
CBPR as it relates to the GCCCR Community Engagement Core (CEC). CBPR requires effective communication 
between researchers and stakeholders. Bidirectional communication is essential for any community-focused 
research or intervention to ensure a functional, successful collaboration. This CBPR principle holds true for 
environmental health and dissemination of research findings in a community setting. To build a trusting 
collaborative relationship between community members and researchers, bi-directional dialogue must be 
established. Community Health Workers (CHWs) are frontline public health workers who have a close 
understanding of the communities they serve. Volunteer Peer Health Advocates (VPHAs) are trained volunteers 
who are committed to improving the health of their communities. Establishing relationships between CHWs, 
VPHAs and community members creates mutual respect, enabling bidirectional dialogue between communities 
and researchers, thus laying the foundation for ongoing, symbiotic collaboration. Leveraging what CHWs and 
PHAs learn from constant engagement with community members will help researchers identify areas for further 
investigation. This collaboration enables CHWs and VPHAs to serve as liaisons and intermediaries between 
health care and social service systems. An advisory board will facilitate bidirectional communication between 
researchers and stakeholders within the specified GCR communities. The board will serve as the primary 
resource for developing and conducting environmental health literacy training as well as facilitating town hall 
meetings to serve as a key platform for increasing awareness, building trust, and disseminating research findings 
and information. Further, the CEC will utilize existing CHWs and VPHAs to assist in the identification and 
recruitment of key community members to participate in formative research including a baseline environmental 
health assessment to determine communities’ needs, knowledge, resources, strengths, and limitations. This 
information will be used to identify collaborations and develop appropriate environmental health education and 
training to reduce barriers and effectively achieve these goals. In addition to town hall meetings, the CEC will 
develop a social media page to use as an effective tool in research dissemination and bidirectional commination 
between the community members and researchers. An electronic newsletter will feature research updates, 
research findings, and announce opportunities for community members to participate in active research. The 
electronic newsletter will be distributed to stakeholders, community organizat...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9979876
- **Project number:** 5P01ES028949-03
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA GULF COAST UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Michael Parsons
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $19,073
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9979876

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9979876, Community Engagement Core (5P01ES028949-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9979876. Licensed CC0.

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