Effective cancer research programs often rely on a collaborative network of community and academic organizations, following the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR). CBPR can be defined as """"""""a partnership approach to research that equitably involves, for example, community members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all aspects of the research process and in which all partners contribute expertise and share decision making and ownership"""""""". 1 Much successful CBPR work has been done to reduce cancer-related health disparities, yet no single, transferable model of CBPR that identifies specific ways for community members to participate in each stage of research exists. We propose the development of a CBPR model through a collaborative effort among cancer researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) Cancer Center's Community Engagement Core and community members. This new core has developed through the union of two successful CBPR teams with the American Indian and Latino communities. The model will be developed through the pilot testing of a oneyear curriculum, Community Ambassadors to Cancer Research, and accompanying interactive web site that will educate community members about research while simultaneously educating researchers about the needs of the community. The primary goal of this project is to bring community members and researchers together to create a transferable model of CBPR with community involvement at each step of the research process. This will ensure a strong Community Engagement Core at the KUMC Cancer Center and allow us to create CBPR teams that can effectively compete for extramural grants. Ten competitively chosen community members will meet for two weeklong sessions at KUMC in months 1 and 12 of the program and 10 monthly oneday sessions held alternately at each of our community-based sites, the Heart of America Indian Center and el Centro, Inc. At each session, a researcher will present a part of the research process and a community leader will present a cancerrelated issue of importance to the community. Researchers and community members will then work together to determine the CBPR model for that stage of research. In addition, throughout the program researchers and community members with similar interests will be introduced to facilitate the formation of CBPR teams. We anticipate forming at least one new CBPR team that will be able to effectively submit for extramural funding within 6 months of program completion. In between sessions, participants and researchers will work together through an interactive web site. To determine effectiveness of program components, participants will complete preand posttesting on each step of the research process. We also plan a thorough process evaluation to determine strengths and weaknesses of the program. At program completion, we will have a transferable model of CBPR to present to both researchers and community members which will serve as the basis for the new Community Engagement Core of the KUMC Cancer Center.
