Cultivating successful academic-community partnerships: The role of CBO research capacity assessment in CBPR.

Academic institutions widely recognize community-based organizations (CBOs), as leaders, experts, and gatekeepers for minoritized communities. In fact, much of the existing literature about these communities would not be possible without CBOs. Despite the vital role CBOs play in the research process, CBOs have struggled to “maintain equitable partnerships with academic researchers,” as CBOs are oftentimes viewed by academics as lacking sufficient research capacity. This elitist perspective reinforces the inequitable power dynamics often cited in Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR). While perspectives vary on “who” gets to define and measure research capacity, efforts to develop a uniform framework are underway. The Community REsearch Activity Assessment Tool (CREAT), is one of the few frameworks available. In this session, participants will learn more about the framework, and how it can be used when working with CBOs not only to examine their research capacity, but to strengthen partnership efforts and produce better outcomes.