CALIBER Dissemination and Community Engagement Core

University Of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA

Investigators

Abstract

The Dissemination and Community Engagement (DICE) Core advances the scientific mission of the CALIBER Center by closing the gap between research and practice through engaging with persons highly impacted by unhealthy alcohol use and HIV and thoughtfully packaging Center research to reach broad academic, clinical and lay-person-based audiences. Including broad participation in HIV/alcohol research ensures that all experiences and perspectives help shape novel interventions, making them more effective, more likely to be taken up broadly, and more sustainable over time. We will include people from populations highly affected by HIV and alcohol use, including a wide swath of patients as well as the healthcare professionals and staff of local organizations that serve people with HIV and unhealthy alcohol use. There is growing evidence that these approaches are effective in the public health arena, and can undergird effective dissemination strategies. The National Academy of Medicine’s Model for Assessing Community Engagement provides domains, principles, and indicators of impact to promote health. CALIBER will incorporate this model to broadly facilitate the work of the DICE Core by promoting the mutual and bi-directional exchange of information, ideas, and expertise between community members and researchers. We will implement three Specific Aims. Aim 1 will integrate clinical and lay-person perspectives into HIV and alcohol research. We will establish a Community Advisory Board, and a website and social media strategy to promote bi-directional exchange. Aim 2 will increase lay- person access to HIV and alcohol-related science particularly about alcohol/HIV interventions and biomarker use. With support from the Advisory Board, we will review, synthesize, translate, and disseminate cross-cutting HIV and alcohol-related research findings, products, and approaches, and provide technical assistance to promote uptake of research findings. Aim 3 will foster broadly engaged processes to promote CALIBER research and the uptake of alcohol/HIV interventions and biomarker-based tools in clinical and local settings. We will support CALIBER science that increases broad participation in the implementation, analysis and dissemination of research through collaborative, sustainable, and fair processes. By implementing these aims, the DICE Core will support CALIBER scientists to meaningfully engage with clinicians and lay-persons to conduct research projects, disseminate the findings, and foster research that is prioritized by and respectful of people who are affected by HIV and unhealthy alcohol use.