MICHR Community Engagement Faculty Lead
Position Description
The Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR) seeks a Faculty Lead for the Community Engagement Program. This is an important faculty leadership position within MICHR that requires a commitment of up to 20% effort per 12-month calendar year.
MICHR creates an academic home for clinical and translational research, trains the next generation of research teams, promotes community engagement in all phases of research, catalyzes new translational discoveries, and partners with the national consortium of over 60 institutions that have received Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) grants from the National Center for Advancing Translational Science (NCATS) of the NIH. MICHR serves clinical, translational, and community-engaged research teams involving partners from schools and departments across all campuses of the University of Michigan and hundreds of community organization partners throughout the state of Michigan.
MICHR’s Community Engagement (CE) Program seeks to advance innovative research at all stages of the translational spectrum to achieve improved health and health equity for individuals and populations across the state of Michigan. We work in collaboration with community-based organizations (CBOs), community advocates, academic researchers, and other partners to enhance an understanding of research and strengthen its relevance to community-level health outcomes. The CE Program is committed to partnership approaches that emphasize shared decision-making and equity in the full research spectrum and strive toward long-term collaboration and action for health improvement. The CE Program provides consultation, education, funding, dissemination of community-engaged research and partnership building for research that is responsive to community- and/or academic identified health priorities and aligns with principles of community engagement. CE Program faculty and staff collaborate with other MICHR programs, U-M schools, academic institutions across the state and community partners to design and provide services that assist research teams in developing and implementing new projects and applying and translating research findings in community and practice-based settings.
DUTIES
The Faculty Lead will lead a diverse team of highly experienced staff and faculty who support and carry out different aspects of CE work (education and training, project and partnership development, funding, etc.). The Faculty Lead will directly report to Associate Director, Dr. Erica E. Marsh, and ultimately to the Director and PI of MICHR, Dr. Julie Lumeng. The Faculty Lead is supported by an administrative program director who directly manages the CE staff team. In addition, the Faculty Lead will be responsible for pursuing additional funding to support innovative CE projects and achieving program deliverables laid out in federal and other grants. The Faculty Lead will serve as a member of MICHR’s Cabinet and provide substantive input to the overall direction and strategic planning of MICHR, including, but not limited to, integrating community engagement throughout the cores of the CTSA. Finally, the Faculty Lead will be expected to participate in national and consortium wide CTSA activities relevant to community engagement and collaboration in translational research.
The CE Faculty Lead will provide direction and guidance for all program services, educational offerings, and funding opportunities within the CE Program. The Faculty Lead will work collaboratively with CE staff and faculty to plan and implement a variety of activities ranging from educational workshops to consultations and partnership building for new community-engaged research endeavors. The Faculty Lead will engage with faculty and administrative partners from various U-M schools/departments, and community partners representing a variety of organizations, including non-profits, social services, government, and health systems to advance community engaged research. The position will require an ability to navigate and leverage existing University resources and programs and create new partnerships throughout the University and other communities to strengthen community-academic relationships. The Faculty Lead will work within an existing budget to continuously improve and develop new programs and will actively seek additional resources to expand this infrastructure through partnerships with other MICHR programs, communities, and stakeholders to integrate and expand CE-related services.
The Faculty Lead will be required to disseminate the work of CE through published manuscripts and conference presentations. The Faculty Lead will contribute to proposal development for which MICHR needs CE input.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates must hold a University of Michigan faculty position in a translational health field and have experience in the administration of community-engaged research projects and/or programs. An in-depth understanding of effective partnership approaches and the importance of community engagement in translational research are necessary. Demonstrated ability in partnering with underrepresented communities, leading diverse teams, and using collaborative strategies to generate ideas and solve problems is required. Full commitment to the mission of MICHR, the specific goals of the MICHR CE program, and the principles of shared leadership and decision-making, accountability, equity, and transparency is expected and should be accompanied by a track record of success in the development and implementation of new community-engaged research initiatives. Documented scholarship in areas that seek to advance the science of engagement and collaboration in health research is preferred. Specific experience collaborating across U-M schools and departments, and serving on interdisciplinary University committees and teams, is recommended. Excellent supervisory, budget, partnership building, and communication skills are required.
Given the nature of this statewide role, the CE Faculty Lead will not be able to serve in this position while at the same time holding a leadership role (i.e. board membership) within another community organization, healthcare agency, or umbrella organization serving multiple agencies.
To apply for this position, please send cover letter and CV to Kevin Weatherwax, MICHR Managing Director, by Friday, February 11.