Objectives/Goals: The Clinical and Translational Research Funding Program (CTRFP) awards 12-month community-engaged pilot projects. Following cycles of proposals with underdeveloped community engagement plans, the study section recommended earlier community feedback. The CTRFP early review process integrates lived experiences in proposal development. Methods/Study Population: Each CTRFP competitive letter of intent (LOI) submission includes a partnership description with roles, project engagement plans, and aims. The early review process includes 1) match community health consultants with specific lived experiences to LOIs; 2) separately, match academics with specific community-engaged research experiences to LOIs; 3) meet with each reviewer to collect verbal feedback; 4) provide written feedback from both community and academic perspectives to applicants one month prior to proposal due date; and 5) consult with applicants as requested leading up to proposal submission. Applicants must state how they incorporated feedback into their proposal. This process is managed through the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences’ community engagement function. Results/Anticipated Results: Three cycles of early review have been integrated into the CTRFP, involving 11 community and 5 academic reviewers. * 29% of LOIs reviewed did not submit. Two realized their partnerships were not ready and within 4 months applied for partnership development funding. * An early reviewer said, “It’s one thing to have a bird’s eye view of an issue, but another to talk to people that grew up in it and know it in their day to day. My voice is totally necessary. I break down ‘food insecurity’ from this surface concept into this issue impacting real people like me and my family.” * Applicants said feedback led to better research design and engagement activities, community benefit, and bigger partnerships. * 22% of proposals scored in the fundable range in 2021. In 2024, 66% of proposals scored in the fundable range. Discussion/Significance of Impact: Early review of CTRFP applications proposing community-engaged research demonstrates accountability to valuing lived experience. Staggering funding with programs that support community engagement, such as partnership development funding and community studios, can efficiently improve proposals not adequately prepared for submission.
Broughton et al. (Wed,) studied this question.