Community Participation in Health Disparities Intervention Research

Posted by on February 25, 2005

The NIH National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NCMHD) has
just released a request for applications for Community Participation in Health
Disparities Intervention Research (<a href="http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov/">http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov/</a>)

Request For Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-MD-05-002
Letters of Intent Receipt Date(s): March 14, 2005
Application Receipt Dates(s): April 14, 2005

The ultimate goal of this RFA is to support intervention research on health disparities that is jointly conducted by communities and researchers. This RFA will utilize the NIH resource-related research projects (R24) grant award mechanism. The total amount to be awarded is $4.5 million. The anticipated number of awards is 5-10.

Eligible organizations include not-for-profit and for-profit, public or private organizations, units of state and local governments, eligible agencies of the Federal Government, domestic institutions/organizations, faith-based or community-based organizations, and Native American tribal organizations.

Eligible principal investigators are any individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research. Each applicant may submit only one application in response to this RFA.

The PHS 398 application instructions are available at
<a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html">http://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html</a> in an interactive format. For further assistance contact GrantsInfo, Telephone (301) 435-0714, Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov.

The goal of this RFA is to support community-based participatory research in planning, implementing, evaluating and disseminating effective interventions for a disease or condition to reduce and eventually eliminate health disparities through partnerships between minority health populations, subpopulations, and other heath disparity populations and researchers.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is defined as scientific inquiry conducted in communities and in partnership with researchers. The process of scientific inquiry is such that community members, persons affected by the health condition, disability or issue under study, or other key stakeholders in the community’s health have the opportunity to be full participants in each phase of the work (from conception – design – conduct – analysis -interpretation – conclusions – communication of results). CBPR is characterized by substantial community input in the development of the grant application (<a href="http://www.niehs.nih.gov/translat/cbpr/cbpr.htm">http://www.niehs.nih.gov/translat/cbpr/cbpr.htm</a>).

For the purpose of this RFA, community refers to populations that may be defined by: geography, race, ethnicity, gender, illness, or other health condition, or to groups that have a common interest or cause, such as health or service agencies and organizations, health care or public health practitioners or providers, policy makers, or lay public groups with public health concerns.

Community-based organizations refer to organizations that may be involved in the research process as members or representatives of the community. While not an exhaustive list, organizations as varied as Tribal governments and colleges, state or local governments, independent living centers, other educational institutions such as junior colleges, advocacy organizations, health delivery organizations (e.g., hospitals), health professional associations, non-governmental organizations, and federally qualified health centers are possible community partners.

In the NIH Health Disparities Strategic Plan, Fiscal Years 2004-2008, the health disparity populations are the racial and ethnic minority groups delineated within Section 1707(g), Public Law 106-25, as well as populations with low socioeconomic status and those living in rural areas. The racial and ethnic minority group refers to American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders, Blacks and Hispanics. Hispanics are individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish-speaking country. The other health disparity populations are population groups who suffer health disparities when compared to the general population. (<a href="http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov">http://www.ncmhd.nih.gov</a>)

NCMHD is interested in supporting intervention research studies using community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles to reduce and eventually eliminate health disparities in any disease or condition of major concern to the community (e.g. cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality, immunization) with emphasis on racial and ethnic minorities.

This initiative will start with a three-year planning grant, followed by a competitive five- year intervention grant, and conclude with a competitive three-year dissemination grant. Receipt of a planning grant does not guarantee obtaining the subsequent intervention or dissemination grant. Subsequent grant awards will be based on scientific merit, progress, quality of the research proposal, and availability of funds.

This RFA is inviting applications for a three-year planning grant proposal. The first year of the grant is devoted to partnership development, community needs assessment, identifying the disease/condition for intervention research, and planning the intervention methodology with substantial input from the community. During the second and third year, a pilot intervention research study will be conducted with community participation.

Successful partnership development with a defined community and developing a plan for intervention research including a pilot intervention research study using CBPR principles are required for participating in the competition for the next stage of funding for the intervention research grant.

For details, visit
<a href="http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-05-002.html">http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-05-002.html</a>

For more resources on CBPR, visit
<a href="http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/commbas.html">http://depts.washington.edu/ccph/commbas.html</a>