214 Enhancing community-engaged research through the adaptation and integration of the Chicago Citizen Scientist Program

Objectives/Goals: Citizen Science (CS) recognizes the vital role that community members play in research, centering their unique lived experiences and perspectives across the research cycle. We aim to enhance community-engaged research (CEnR) by adapting a CS Program at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). Methods/Study Population: The CS Program, launched in response to COVID-19, was designed/piloted for Chicago community members interested in research careers, developing evidence-based practice skills, and/or partnering with academic, community, and/or public health organizations. To inform program adaptation, we are conducting a landscape assessment, including 1) inventory/annotation of existing curricular materials, 2) review of peer-reviewed literature, 3) website extraction of existing CS programs’ key components, and 4) interviewing key informants. An Advisory Board of prior CS instructors/alumni will guide curriculum adaptation, coordination, and fidelity. We will also identify strategic internal/external UIC organizational partnerships to collaborate on establishing, developing, and conducting the program. Results/Anticipated Results: Literature describes common CS program typology as a continuum, from research done “with the people” to research conducted “by the people” (King et al, 2016). Our program will equip CS to engage across these conceptual continuums. We plan to launch the UIC CCTS CS Program by Fall 2025 and have 10 online modules with a disability justice lens. Topics will range from Critical Thinking and the Research Process to Structural Violence and Evaluation Frameworks. Grounded in liberatory pedagogy, sessions will be taught by UIC faculty, staff, and community partners, each containing a lecture, interactive activities, and assessments. Participants will earn a certificate applicable to related jobs (e.g., academic/community research), supplement community health worker training, precursor to health degrees, and more. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Through the CS Program, we aim to center community expertise and lived experience within research, foster bi-directional collaborations and relationships, and build community capacity. We are evaluating this project adaptation and implementation to create a blueprint for institutions to enhance their community-engaged research.