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Community Voices Program

ITHS › Community › For Clinical & Community Partners › Community Voices Program

The Community Voices Program

Matching Communities with Academic Researchers

Community Voices is a program in which community organizations (e.g., social services, faith-based organizations, schools, health centers) can share their health-related project idea and be matched with a researcher to support this project. There are no fees to participate in Community Voices.

Community Voices operates across five states: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho, and it is managed by the University of Washington’s ITHS Community Engagement Program.

Community organizations can:

  • Match with researchers of mutual interests.
  • Collaborate with researchers on their health-related project.
  • Receive ongoing technical support.

Types of Projects:

Community Voices can help with many projects. Some examples include:

  • Conducting a Program Evaluation
  • Designing an Interview Guide
  • Developing a Community Survey
  • Performing a Community Needs Assessment
  • Completing an Environmental Scan

How Community Voices Works:

Step 1: Submit Your Project Idea

We ask all community members to complete an online intake form (provided below). The Community Voices Coordinating Center will review submissions and follow up with further instructions.

Step 2: Match with an Expert

The Coordinating Center will search for a researcher who has interests and experience in line with the proposed project.

Step 3: Work Together

The Coordinating Center will set up an introductory meeting between the community organization and the researcher to develop a plan (e.g., scope of the project, timeline, and communications).

Step 4: Receive Ongoing Support

Regular meetings will be scheduled between the community organization, academic investigator, and the Coordinating Center throughout the project. This is to ensure the project is on track and addresses any challenges along the way. A project is expected to be completed within a one-year timeline.

CONTACT US
SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT IDEA

Ready to get started? Click here to fill out our intake form.

FAQ

Q: How much does Community Voices cost?
A: Community Voices is a free program.

Q: Do community organizations need to pay the researcher?
A: No. Community Voices is a free program.

Q: What is the time commitment for the researcher?
A: Because this is a free program, researchers are limited to no more than 5 hours per month to support a project.

Q: How do researchers typically support projects?
A: Researchers typically act in the role of an advisor and/or provide technical assistance. A researcher can help enhance the project design, access academic resources, or assist with data analysis, to name a few examples.

Q: Do projects have to be a year?
A: Usually one year. We welcome projects with shorter timelines. Longer project timelines will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Q: Do we need prior research or data experience to participate?
A: No. All levels of experience are welcome.

Q: Can multiple organizations collaborate on a single project?
A: Yes.

Q: Is there a deadline for submitting project ideas?
A: No. All project ideas can be submitted on a rolling basis.

Q: Do all project ideas get approved for support?
A: Unfortunately, no. Although we would like to accept every project idea, some projects are too big, or we cannot identify a researcher.

Q: Who owns the data and findings from a project?
A: The community-based organization owns the data and findings.