Community-Engaged Research in RADx-UP: Lessons on Building Capacity Through Working Groups

Objective: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) frequently requests the formation of working groups (WGs) as a component of coordinating centers for large multisite studies. This study aims to offer insights into the importance of integrating community-engaged approaches in WGs to facilitate collaboration and capacity building in health equity research. Methods: Data from four different sources were analyzed to assess the organizational structure, performance, and effectiveness of nine WGs formed as part of the NIH-funded Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics–Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic. These sources include administrative documents, feedback surveys of WG members, focus groups of WG members, and semi-structured interviews of WG chairs. Results: RADx-UP WGs were organized to promote health equity through the development of communities of practice. The vast majority of group members responding to a feedback survey agreed or strongly agreed that the RADx-UP WGs had achieved this objective. The WGs were successful by engaging chairs who fostered a culture of collaboration, engaging a diverse membership in the co-creation of knowledge, and investing in an infrastructure that combined accountability with flexibility. Discussion: These lessons learned from RADx-UP can help future WG initiatives to optimize their effectiveness and promote health equity in national, collaborative research projects.