Program Description

Overview
Community-Based Research (CBR) Grants at the University of Utah seek to support research partnerships between academic researchers and community-based partners that inquire into and address real-world issues through an approach rooted enhancing societal impact and sense of community and belonging. The University of Utah recognizes the value of CBR as a method for enriching our understanding of the world while also increasing social impact by advancing scientific knowledge within contextualized practice, guiding community and economic development, impacting policy, fostering learning, supporting organizing and movement building, and enhancing trust between academic institutions and communities harmed by past research.

Following extensive dialogue with key stakeholders in collaboration with the Community Research Collaborative (CRC), VPR has redesigned its Community-Based Research (CBR) grant mechanism. This redesign has produced the CBR Project Implementation Grant Program. CBR Project Implementation Grants are designed to support projects that are based in an established partnership with community partners and have been designed in collaboration with partners. This call for proposals is a pilot launch of the CBR Project Implementation grant program. Future program details, deadlines, etc. are subject to change based on feedback from the pilot launch. Applicants to the CBR Project Implementation grant program are highly encouraged to complete the “Principles and Practices  of Community-Based Research (CBR) at the University of Utah” REd course prior to applying for any CBR Program.

Defining Community Based Research
For the purposes of this grant program, CBR, as defined by the Community Research Collaborative is:

A family of research approaches that aim both to understand or explore an issue and to implement solutions. CBR focuses on questions that are meaningful to a community and engages both professional academics and community members as experts. Partners share power and collaborate to develop and carry out the research together 

Research approaches that can fall under the umbrella of CBR include, but are not limited to, community-based participatory research, translational research, participatory action research, teacher research, participatory design research, community-based translational research, and action science. CBR projects can utilize a wide range of research methods and can define the community in a multitude of ways, including by geography, ethnicity, organizational affiliation, sexuality, profession, Indigenous tribe, and many other shared identities or experiences.

More information can be found in the Community-Based Research Guidelines for Communities and Higher Education published in May of 2021. Applicants are encouraged to review this guideline document fully prior to submitting an application to any CBR Program.

Eligibility Criteria

Faculty members who hold at least a .50 FTE appointment are eligible to apply.

Important Deadlines

Applications for the pilot launch of this program are due by 11:59pm on Friday, July 1st, 2022.

Required Application Materials

1. Proposal Narrative: 5 page maximum, single spaced, 12 pt. font, PDF Format Only
Proposal Narratives should adequately address the following questions:

• • What is the topic or issue that your research project addresses?
  • Which communities does the project engage?
    • • How would you describe your collaboration with community partners?
  • How is the topic important for the communities involved and for advancing academic knowledge?
  • How will the Six Principles of CBR be embedded in the project?
    • • CBR is driven by goals and values that are explicitly shared among partners
      • CBR builds on the strengths, knowledge, and cultures of the communities involved
      • Partners share power and work together to develop and carry out CBR
      • All partners should see benefits from the process and outcomes of CBR
      • CBR requires open, trusting, ongoing relationships
      • CBR is shared in ways that are accessible and useful to all partners
  • What are your research questions, objectives, and overall study design?
    • • In what ways is this design appropriate to the study objectives and the communities involved?
      • How did you ensure this design was developed collaboratively among all partners?
      • How will your approach attend to community-campus relationships and allow for meaningful opportunities for each to contribute to and benefit from the project?
  • Describe your research methods (study design, data collection, analysis, timetable, etc.).
    • • Who will be involved in each stage of the process?
      • How did you address important ethical considerations?
  • What academic and community-facing outputs are you planning to produce from this research?
    • • What outcomes or impacts do you hope this project will have on the communities involved? On academic knowledge?
      • How will this project strengthen the capacity of community members to engage in and benefit from the research enterprise? Of faculty researchers to engage in learning from community expertise?
  • How does your budget attend to supporting community members and partners?
    • • What other funds or resources have you already received?
      • How do you plan to fund this project in the future?

2. Partnership Agreement: 2 page maximum; PDF Format Only
Please attach a written partnership agreement, using pages 20-21 of the Community-Based Research Guidelines for Communities and Higher Education as a guide. Topics listed in this document are suggestions. The submitted Partnership Agreement should be adapted to fit the needs and concerns of the project and its specific partnerships. At a minimum, this agreement should:

• • Identify all community partners and length of time the applicant(s) have worked with these community partners
  • Specific assets each partner provides the project/proposal
  • Explain the community partners’ involvement in collaboratively identifying the research topic/questions/methodology
  • Roles and responsibilities of all community members on the project

The Partnership Agreement must be signed by the applicant and lead representative of the community partner organization, institution, or group.

3. Budget Outline: Must use provided CBR Budget Template; PDF or Excel Format allowed.
The Budget Outline should include all project costs and justifications for each cost. Budgets should also include information on funds from other sources/matching funds, if applicable. Please refer to Budget Guidelines and Restrictions section of this opportunity announcement when creating your project budget.

4. Abbreviated CV or Biographical Sketch: PDF Format Only
Please provide the abbreviated CV or biographical sketch of each University of Utah affiliated investigator listed on the project. Bio-sketches/CVs are not required for associated parties who will not be considered PI or Co-PI on the project.

5. Health, Safety, and Compliance Documentation: PDF Format Only
The applicant must submit evidence that the proposal has been submitted to the required health, safety, and compliance officials, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for research on human subjects, and IACUC approval for research involving comparative medicine.
Note: The VPR Office will not release funds for an awarded project if not approved by the relevant health, safety, and compliance officials. Documentation of relevant IRB and/or IACUC application submissions must be provided with grant application for the application to be considered. The application does not need to be approved at time of submission – only at time of award.

Budget Guidelines

Guidelines

• Applicant must use CBR Budget Template.
• Budgets should not exceed $30,000.
• Enter all amounts in whole dollars
• Add lines as needed to include all pertinent items
• For fringe rates, see https://osp.utah.edu/resources/quick-reference/benefits.php.
• Hourly wages of research assistants must be listed and justified. If Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) students are used in the project, their wages are paid by UROP. Students must apply separately to UROP.
• The basis for figuring travel related to the project and per diem costs must be itemized and made clear and may not exceed rates for per diem and travel set by the Travel Office (801-581- 7142).
• Please ensure that all requested work (including Travel) is in line with the most up to date University of Utah COVID-19 Guidelines
• ALL expenditures must adhere to relevant UofU Purchasing Policies and Regulations
• Careful justification should be given for the purchase of equipment (including computer hardware/software, books, or supplies) which may already exist in the University. Equipment purchased by the research grant becomes the property of the University of Utah. Where leasing equipment is a possible option, the purchase must be justified.
• Once the grant is awarded, the awardee is responsible for managing the budget. All funding distributed by the VPR is subject to audit. The VPR will not bear the burden of over-expenditures, which must be rectified by the faculty member and their academic unit.
• PI’s may not make any changes to the original objectives in their research plan or budget outline without written permission of the VPR Office

Budget Restrictions

• Grants may not be used for faculty salaries, graduate student stipends or fellowships, graduate student-initiated projects or support to write their dissertations or theses, curriculum development and/or career development (e.g. taking courses, attending professional meetings, etc.), benefits on hourly wages except those required by law.
• A request for funds to purchase a computer requires evidence that the project cannot be pursued without procuring that specific computer or workstation. The VPR will fund the acquisition of computer hardware and software that are vital and necessary components of an approved project.

Review Process and Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be read by a committee made up of community-based and University of Utah affiliated reviewers. University-based reviewers will include faculty with expertise in CBR (including at least one CRC member) as well as staff from units that support CBR (including at least one staff member from UNP). There is no guarantee of award for the pilot launch of the CBR Project Implementation grant program. Criteria for review is below:

• Proposal should demonstrate synergy between community engagement and strong academic scholarship. Proposals should address questions of import to scholars and community members, while producing results that advance scholarly knowledge and benefit communities that partners are intended to serve.
• Proposals should be high-quality in terms of both scholarly rigor and collaboration. Proposals should be rooted in current scholarly research and community knowledge, use methods appropriate to the research question as well as the communities involved, and address and align with the Six Principles of CBR.
• Proposals should demonstrate potential impact on the communities involved, academic disciplines, fields, and/or methodologies. Proposals should show that community members and partners have taken the lead in defining impacts on their communities. Impacts at different geographic scales (local, regional, national, international) can be equally valuable.

Final Report Information

Grantees will be expected to:

• Submit a final report outlining the outcomes of the project, achievements at each stage, lessons learned, and other critical post-project information.
• Work in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) to identify and apply for external funding sources.
• Submit feedback to the VPR Office on the experience with the grant process.

Submit an Application

Applications for the pilot launch of this program are due by 11:59pm on Friday, July 1st, 2022.

Submit an Application

Information on 2012-2023 Community Based Research Programs (CBR) awardees is available HERE.