Tufts CTSI Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement / Tisch College Director of Civic Learning for the Health Professions

Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) (www.tuftsctsi.org/), one of 64 organizations supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA), was established in 2008 to transform the biomedical research process through education, promoting collaboration, and the provision of research infrastructure and support services. Tufts CTSI accelerates the translation of laboratory research into clinical use, medical practice, and health policy. In addition to its work with Tufts University, Tufts Medical Center, and other partner organizations, Tufts CTSI contributes to the national CTSA Consortium.

Tufts CTSI is a leader nationally in the development of frameworks and methods for stakeholder and community engagement in translational research. Most recently, Tufts CTSI enlisted experts from the fields of civic engagement, stakeholder engagement, and participatory research to establish a broad set of resources and training programs to help researchers, communities and partnerships improve the relevance and transparency of research.

The Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life (http://activecitizen.tufts.edu/) prepares Tufts University students to become active citizens and community leaders. The only university-wide college of its kind, Tisch engages Tufts students in meaningful community building, public service experiences, and transformational learning. It also conducts and supports groundbreaking research on civic and political participation and forges innovative community partnerships.

Tufts CTSI and Tisch College of Civic Life seek a faculty member to split his or her time between leading the Stakeholder and Community Engagement (SCE) Program [Tufts CTSI] and directing Civic Learning for the Health Professions at Tufts [Tisch College]:

The Director of the SCE Program will jointly lead the program with two other SCE program directors to create and maintain a nurturing and collaborative research environment focused on broadly engaged team science, where stakeholders and community members are authentic members of the research team. The SCE Director is a Tufts CTSI-wide scientific leader who maintains links and promotes collaboration between diverse stakeholders and community members relevant to, invested in, and accountable for, improved public health. Building on Tufts CTSI?s successful national leadership and existing programs in SCE, the Director of SCE sets the strategic direction in consultation with Tufts CTSI leadership and in alignment with NIH priorities, including developing new programs, tools and resources; promoting community-engaged research projects; leading education efforts; and advancing the science of community-engaged research across the translational spectrum. The Director of SCE will work closely with other Tufts CTSI components to develop novel approaches to include diverse populations in translational research with a particular focus on underserved and health disparity populations. This is a 50% appointment.

The Director of Stakeholder and Community Engagement at Tufts CTSI will be expected to be appointed as assistant professor at the Tufts University School of Medicine. That position does not carry tenure. Some teaching and mentoring responsibilities are expected. The Director may also hold professorships in other schools and departments of Tufts, by mutual agreement.

The Director of Civic Learning for the Health Professions at Tufts is appointed by Tisch College of Civic Life and reports to the Associate Dean of Tisch College. Tufts University Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine all offer or require service-learning for their students, supported by Tisch College. Through professional placements in community organizations, students develop advanced skills and deepen their understanding of health-related issues. Each of these schools has its own coordinator of service-learning who is primarily responsible for the service placements and for the students? reflections. The Director supervises the programs and is responsible for their consistency, use of evidence-based practices, educational outcomes, benefits to communities, and evaluation. It is expected that, over time, the Director will publish research based on data from the programs. The Director will also find synergies between the service-learning programs and Tufts CTSI SCE?s efforts in the interest of stronger research, better community outcomes, and learning opportunities. This is a 50% appointment.

The Director of Civic Learning for the Health Professions at Tufts will be appointed as a professor at Tisch College. That position does not carry tenure and does not have a teaching responsibility. The Director may also hold professorships in other schools and departments of Tufts, by mutual agreement. Tisch College is assembling an interdisciplinary group of faculty interested in aspects of civic life, and the Director is expected to participate intellectually in that group.

Key Responsibilities

Integration

Promote community engagement throughout Tufts University and Tufts CTSI partners, including in leadership, research, professional education, and communication activities:

• Conduct outreach and leverage resources across departments and partners to serve student and investigator needs.
• Prepare communications materials and present findings and accomplishments to institutional leaders and other stakeholders.

Programs, Resources, and Tools

Create the infrastructure to advance stakeholder- and community-engaged research approaches and service-learning.

• Establish programs to engage communities in translational research projects.
• Develop and update guides and manuals on collaborative research.
• Create a repository for community-engaged research methods, measures, and metrics.
• Work with service-learning coordinators to build tools, training modules, and exercises to strengthen community service learning.

Research Consultations

Provide the Tisch College Community Research Center and community members, researchers, trainees and other stakeholders at Tufts University and at Tufts CTSI partners with expert advice about conducting community-engaged research. Consult on:

• Grant applications.
• Principles and methods for community-engaged research.
• Inclusion of Tufts professional students in research projects.
• Community-based research by Tufts professional students.

Research Connections

Bring together researchers with local public health experts, government, public and private partners, and community-based organizations to improve the health of communities.

Research Projects

Engage communities as full partners in the translational research enterprise.

Education and Training

Promote knowledge of stakeholder and community-engaged research practices for community-based organizations, researchers, and trainees to build capacity.

Innovation

Address stakeholder- and community-engaged research as a scientific problem to identify most effective approaches in an experimental, data-driven fashion.

Collect data and report program outcomes to stakeholders including, institutional leaders, partners, community members, colleagues, and funding agencies.