The goal of the Duke Center for Community Research (DCCR)is to work with communities to better understand their concerns, and to find ways to move proven technologies and therapies more quickly out into community practice so that they improve health, especially of under-represented minorities. DCCR intends to help community groups find solutions to their health concerns.

The DCCR leverages the talent of the academic research community to collaboratively create a training, research, and liaison system that will effectively and systematically involve the community in clinical and translational research training, priority setting, participation, and follow-up.

The DCCR builds upon existing programs that have established a symbiotic Duke-community research relationship, building capacity with the community to frame and undertake research, and at the same time building capacity within Duke to work cooperatively in effective, community-centered projects. This paradigm is based on the shared goal of improving the health of the community.

As the interactive arm between Duke and the communities it serves, DCCR is designed to be accountable to both. The DCCR operates under the guidance of a Community Advisory Board.

Community-linked Research Programs

Duke is fortunate to have a number of programs that engage in community-oriented research, service, and education. The entities are all interdisciplinary and demonstrate Duke’s excellence in a wide-range of areas that extend beyond the Medical Center.

Resources:

• The Role of Family Medicine Departments in Primary Care Workforce Discussions (Association of Departments of Family Medicine): February 23, 2007 [pdf]
  (L. Michener)
• Practicing Community-Engaged Research: December 2007 [pdf]
  Practicing Community-Engaged Research: December 2007 [ppt]
  (M. A. McDonald) Contact Mary Anne McDonald for written permission to use these materials.
• Researchers and Their Communities: The Challenge of Meaningful Community Engagement: May 2009 [pdf]
  (The CTSA’s Community Engagement Key Function Committee and the CTSA Community Engagement Workshop Planning Committee)
• Ethics and Community-Engaged Research: September 2009 [pdf]
  (M. A. McDonald)

Links to Durham Health Initiatives:

• Partnership for Healthy Durham
  This link contains public documents on the health and health behavior of Durham residents.
  
• Duke Department of Community and Family Medicine
  
• Durham Health Innovations