Creating a Bilingual Community Advisory Board to Promote Kidney Research and Academic-Community Collaborations

Background: Little is known about best practices for establishing a bilingual community advisory board to promote academic-community collaborations. Methods: We created a community advisory board composed of nephrology providers, researchers, people with kidney disease, and community-based organizations representing Hispanic/Latine and Black/African American populations. We held ten virtual board meetings in Spanish with live interpretation, then conducted a focus group to assess (1) strengths and challenges, and (2) recommendations for improvement and sustainability. We described the process of board creation, meeting agenda items, and thematic analysis of focus group content. Results: The board included 17 members with diverse representation. Agenda items included: establishment of mission and member responsibilities, selection of leadership, review of a grant proposal, and provision of small grants to members to conduct research that promoted the board’s mission. Live virtual interpretation increased sense of inclusivity and connection. Challenges included incomplete understanding of the purpose of collaboration, lack of trust, and lack of sustainable funding. Recommendations included community fiscal sponsorship and teambuilding activities to promote trust. Conclusion: Bilingual community advisory boards promote academic-community collaboration. Funding: Private Foundation Support