190 Filling the Gap: Perspectives from a long-standing Community Engagement Advisory Board on conducting community-engaged research that emphasizes the needs of communities

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Community Engagement Advisory Boards (CEAB) serve as a vital resource for engaging and partnering with communities in research. The purpose of this project is to describe the perspectives of members of a long-standing CEAB in providing input and promoting research that aligns with the needs, experiences, and concerns of the communities they represent METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Three 90-minute focus groups were conducted with a subset of a CEAB(n=17)(M years spent with CEAB =7.3) affiliated with the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Illinois-Chicago. Members areas of expertise include perspectives from faith-based organizations, community organizing, public health and working with diverse populations. Transcribed audio recordings of the focus groups were coded using thematic analysis wherein two authors coded independently, followed by audited discussion and final consensus codes. Main themes were identified after reviewing final codes. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: CEAB members described the bi-directional nature of their role serving as a conduit between research institutions and their communities, identified strategies to promote research literacy in communities, called for researchers to take a proactive approach in forming and sustaining community partnerships, and helped identify opportunities to promote community engagement in more creative and feasible ways. Additionally, CEAB members identified perceived opportunities for the board as a whole to be more involved in Chicago communities to further their role as a liaison between the university and the community. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: These findings may have implications for investigators to better address community priorities in research by understanding unique local realities as well as help other CTSA hubs’ to leverage their communities’ expertise.