Community & Patient Advisory Boards (CPABs) are a common way of integrating stakeholder voices and perspectives into research activities, ranging from providing input on a single study to guiding the work of entire organizations.

CPABs bring together members with different experiences, knowledge, and skills to help address complex issues in research, and often serve as a link between communities and researchers.

Since 2008, NC TraCS has worked with researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill to improve the health of all North Carolinians by promoting the inclusion, engagement, and recruitment of diverse communities and patients in health research. NC TraCS partners with community leaders, local organizations, health agencies, and community clinics across the state on research projects that aim to reduce health disparities. Health equity has been a common theme in our work at NC TraCS, and in 2021 we established this CPAB as a way to recognize equity in research more intentionally as a critical focus of our Institute.

CPAB Purpose

The NC TraCS Equity in Research CPAB promotes and supports equity in research at UNC-Chapel Hill through community engagement, inclusive science, and diverse recruitment. It helps create and strengthen bidirectional, trustworthy connections between researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill and diverse North Carolina communities, networks, and organizations.

Equity in Research

Equity in Research aims to address structural, historical, and practical obstacles that prevent underrepresented communities from fully participating in health-related research. Underrepresentation in research is complex, and involves issues at the participant, researcher, institutional, and policy levels.

Efforts to improve the health and wellbeing of diverse communities—whether through policy change, community-level intervention, or improvements in medical care—often first begin with research. Therefore, equity in research will contribute to achieving Health Equity.

CPAB Aims

The CPAB provides input into the work of the NC TraCS Institute. The aims of the CPAB are to:

• Provide guidance on NC TraCS programming related to community engagement, inclusive science, and research recruitment
• Develop guiding principles for UNC-Chapel Hill on building relationships with communities, highlighting the importance of trustworthiness, partnership, transparency, and respect
• Advocate for institutional infrastructure that promotes and supports equitable engagement and participation in research
• Provide project-specific input to researchers with a focus on providing guidance related to equity, engagement, strategies, and diverse and inclusive recruitment

CPAB Members

The NC TraCS Equity in Research CPAB brings together a diverse group of members from different communities across North Carolina.

Meet our CPAB members

Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Network

CPAB Members

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Stakeholder Engagement Guidelines