Applications Open: Promoting Academics and Community Engagement (PACE) Dissemination Grant

Are you a community partner who recently completed a project in collaboration with an academic researcher?

Are you an academic researcher who recently completed a study in collaboration with a community partner?

If so, we invite you to apply for the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR) Promoting Academics and Community Engagement (PACE) dissemination grant. The goal of PACE dissemination grants is to share Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) results back to the community. Community engagement is a vital component of research, ensuring that research findings can be readily translated into useful practices and policies that are relevant to local communities. CEnR seeks to engage and include all community members in the research process, resulting in reduced health disparities, increased trust in science and between researchers and the community. CEnR leverages community and research partnerships to optimize research quality, relevance and impact.

Application due date: November 8, 2024 at 11:59pm.
See funding opportunity

Background: MICHR is the home of the University of Michigan’s Clinical and Translational Science Award funded by the National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). The purpose of this grant is to nimbly respond to community health priorities by disseminating academic & community-partnered research findings that promote the translational science of community-engaged research in the community.

Grant Details: For this grant opportunity, dissemination is defined as sharing information and research findings back to communities. A journal article submission is not considered dissemination for this opportunity and will not be eligible for funding.

Before applying for funding, applications must meet the following criteria:

1. Completed data collection from an academic and community-partnered research project; and

2. Analyzed research findings.

Examples of community dissemination activities that may be considered for funding include, but are not limited to:

• Co-presenting findings at a local community town hall or other community-focused event
• Designing/publishing a community-accessible website
• Co-creating art or some other form of creative expression showcasing findings for the community
• Designing and implementing a social media campaign
• Partnering with an existing or creating a new community event (e.g., fair, walk) to share findings with attendees

Please note: Proposals including the following will not be considered for funding:

• Data collection at proposed community-centered dissemination activities
• Inadequate compensation to community partners (The National Health Council has developed a useful tool to help determine appropriate compensation for patient engagement activities. This may be helpful in guiding your budget decisions to fairly and equitably compensate community partners and those with lived experience.)
• Lobbying activities (Please consult these resources: NIH Grants Policy Statement and Lobbying Guidance)
• Unclear delineation between academic and community partners (distinct college/university & community affiliations)

Funding: Applicants may request from $2,500 up to $5,000 for a six-month period (with the project ending no later than six months after the start date). Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by the end of December.

Eligibility: Applications must have at least two partners:

1) An academic partner associated with any college, school, or university in the state of Michigan (not limited to those associated with the University of Michigan), and

2) A community partner associated with a non-academic community organization or group (e.g., non-profit/community benefit organization, neighborhood coalition, faith-based organization).

Please note:

• Proposals for community dissemination activities focused statewide and/or in regions 5-8 (as seen in the regional map) are strongly encouraged.
• MICHR strongly encourages all applicants to fairly and equitably compensate all community partners for their time and expertise. This tool may be useful in making compensation determinations. This compensation must be reflected in your budget justification.

Grant Preparation and Submission: Applicants must use the guidelines listed below to prepare their applications. Applications must be submitted using the UMMS Competition Space site.

Forms for this funding opportunity can be found by logging into Competition Space and searching for the MICHR Promoting Academics and Community Engagement (PACE) Dissemination Grant.

NOTE: UMMS Competition Space requires a login and password to access the site. Applicants who are not part of the University of Michigan may sign up for an account by visiting the Competition Space homepage, clicking on “Login” in the top right corner, scrolling down to “Login for Other Users” and clicking on the “Register” button.

Application Guidelines:

1. Face Page: Include a brief abstract in the space provided.
2. Dissemination Plan: A maximum of two pages* (Arial 11, single-spaced, minimum of 0.5-inch margins) describing the partnership and proposed dissemination plan using the bolded headers below. Please use the following overall format and note the suggested page limits:
   • Significance (up to ½ page): Discuss the community-relevant research finding(s) that will be disseminated, highlighting results that have community significance and/or potential for community impact.
   • Approach (up to 1 page): Describe the community-specific activities, details, and/or materials that will be developed to achieve the community-focused dissemination plan. Describe how diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility will be incorporated into the plan. Briefly detail the academic and community partner’s approach to collaborative implementation of the dissemination plan.
   • Benefit (up to ¼ page): Explain how your plan benefits your community.
   • Timeline (up to ¼ page): Map out the six-month project timeline.

1. References: APA or AMA style.
2. Budget and Justification: All budget items must be listed and justified, including any compensation to community partners.

The following items are not allowed in the budget:

• course buy-out of more than 50% of the total proposed budget
• equipment
• computers
• cost overruns
• retroactive funding
• grant preparation costs
• renovations
• office supplies

This list is not exhaustive. MICHR staff will review project budgets for allowability of expenses and request edits and or changes prior to the awarding of any PACE dissemination grant. Applicants are encouraged to discuss allowable expenses with CE staff.

*Note: Only item 2 (Dissemination Plan) has page limits. Items 2-5 must be combined into one PDF. Templates for the application face page, project plan, and budget are available on the UMMS Competition Space site.

Awardee Responsibilities: Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in December. Awardees must attend an orientation meeting with MICHR staff. All funds must be spent within the six-month award period. Awardees must provide a progress report at the end of the award. MICHR staff may request additional information beyond the funding period to measure the impact of the award and dissemination activities. Applicants may be invited to present at a MICHR Community Engagement (CE) program Community Grand Rounds session where CEnR partners will share success stories from their work and may be asked to present their work at future MICHR events.

MICHR Resources and Support: The MICHR CE program provides consultations, technical assistance, and educational training for academic and community partners interested in CEnR. Applicants interested in receiving guidance on their application are encouraged to request a consultation as soon as possible by contacting the MICHR CE Team.

Additional Resources:

• Community-Centered Dissemination Toolkit
  This toolkit was designed by the University of Minnesota Medical School Program in Health Disparities Research and Clinical and Translational Science Institute’s Community Engagement to help research teams incorporate community-engagement principles into dissemination.
• Dissemination and Engagement Planning Checklist
  This checklist offers guidance on the dissemination planning and implementation process.
• Dissemination in Community-Engaged Research This brief article discusses general guidelines for practice in the dissemination of CEnR.
• PACE Funding Opportunity Information and Technical Assistance Session Video. Watch a recorded Technical Assistance Session about the grant opportunity with useful information including instructions for submission on Competition Space.