ENGAGED - Medical Rehabilitation Research Center Administrative Core

University Of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section The ENGAGED-Disability Community-Engaged Medical Rehabilitation Research (MRR) Center aims to establish national infrastructure and resources to incorporate community-engaged research (CEnR) into the rehabilitation research field. This initiative will improve the feasibility, efficacy, and effectiveness of rehabilitation research, ultimately enhancing the lives of people with disabilities. By uniting national disability rights advocates, community-engaged rehabilitation research leaders, and other stakeholders, the center will advance community-engaged disability and rehabilitation science. It will sponsor, facilitate, and monitor research development and guide the disability and rehabilitation research communities in best practices for CEnR. This approach aims to enhance the quality and focus on MRR and reduce the detrimental impact of social determinants of health on functional outcomes. The Administrative Core (AC), essential for realizing this vision, will establish a strategic framework, provide networking and mentoring infrastructure, generate evidence-based knowledge products, and disseminate best practices for community engagement disability and MRR. Co-led by Dr. Joy Hammel and Dr. Susan Magasi, the AC will benefit from their expertise in community-based participatory research and health access among people with disabilities. The AC will also include Dr. Bhatt, who has extensive experience running pilot programs in NIH-funded Centers. The AC's leadership experience and expertise are highly complementary and uniquely suited for conducting all AC activities. The AC Executive Committee will include the Internal Advisory Committee (IAC) and leads of the Research Project (RP), Resource Core (RC), and Community Engagement and Outreach Core (CC). The AC will foster and monitor research through five specific aims: develop and maintain a center infrastructure providing scientific leadership, fiscal management, and external oversight to advance disability research; coordinate and synergize all center components through regular communication, workshops, and training; build strategic collaborations with non-profits, MRR Centers, research institutions, and government agencies; catalyze innovative research and support early career investigators through a national pilot grant program; and monitor and evaluate all center activities through a rigorous evaluation program. The AC will ensure effective collaboration and communication between cores and the external Community Engagement Advisory Board (CAB). Core leads will maintain weekly communication with the AC, and monthly Center meetings will facilitate further coordination. The AC will work with the Executive Committee to build the CAB, comprising representatives from disability and medical rehabilitation organizations. Additionally, the AC will collaborate with the Internal Advisory Committee to assemble experts for the pilot Review Panel and will develop a Center evaluation plan for reporting to NICHD. The AC will provide smooth, efficient, and responsive organizational infrastructure to support ENGAGED's multicomponent operations.