Research Consultation Services Core

Project Summary: Research Consultation Services Core In order to reduce diabetes-related disparities, we must authentically prioritize community concerns and strengthen trustworthiness of our academic and healthcare systems. The overall goal of the Research Consultation Services (RCS) Core is to support the vision of National CEDER to foster and advance community- led and –informed T2D equity research by providing expert consultations on research methods, frameworks, and approaches. The structure of the proposed RCS Core is informed by health equity and meaningful community engagement models and focused on structural and social determinants of T2D. The RCS Core is designed to complement the Stakeholder Engagement Studio Core's efforts to provide expertise on the operations and application of stakeholder engagement in research. The RCS Core will accomplish this by providing streamlined access to faculty and community expertise in the research and practice methodologies needed to advance equity in T2D research, including intersectionality frameworks, structural racism, implementation science and health equity frameworks and metrics; life course methodology; mixed qualitative-quantitative methodology; pragmatic trials and translational study designs; population health and health systems approaches; system dynamics models; and legal, societal and ethical considerations in research. The RCS Core will coalesce this multidisciplinary expertise across three collaborative resources (i.e. RCS resource pillars): (a) Community Engagement Frameworks and Approaches (CEFA) (b) Social and Structural Determinants and Translational Research Methods (STRM), and (c) Ethical Engagement & Dissemination in Diverse Populations (EDD). The RCS aims to 1) refine a research consultation model that provides expertise in the theoretical frameworks, research methodologies, and dissemination approaches needed to advance diabetes equity; 2) provide expert consultations in theoretical frameworks, research methodology and approaches designed to support stakeholder engagement in research and advance diabetes equity, 3) Monitor and evaluate the impact of research consultation services on equitable and enhanced engagement of diverse communities and sectors in T2D research; and 4) disseminate tools, recommendations, and lessons learned from RCS core service delivery. The RCS Core is co-led by Drs. Earle Chambers and Carmen Isasi, and Ms. Chris Norwood, who bring together more than two decades of leadership in diabetes research and practice and in building T2D research infrastructure with an emphasis on diversity of research teams and equity in practice. The RCS Core will also leverage institutional resources across NIH/NIDDK-funded Centers (e.g., CTSAs, CDTRs, DRCs, NORCs, NIMHD Centers of Excellence) that are part of the National CEDER Partnership Hub, building upon active collaborations that will generate synergistic and bidirectional collaborations to maximize resources.