238 Co-creating Evaluation and Measuring Value for Community-Engaged Research Training

Objectives/Goals: Evaluate the impact of a community-engaged research (CEnR) training institute by assessing knowledge, skills, and sustained engagement and estimating societal value via logic-model guided surveys and social return on investment (sROI) utilizing a participatory evaluation approach. Methods/Study Population: We co-designed a logic model and evaluation plan with community partners for the Great Plains IDeA-CTR 2024 CEnR Institute. The day-long institute amplified community voices through sessions on trust building, co-creation of research, and equity in evaluation. The agenda for the institute was collaboratively developed with community and academic partners. Participants included 54 in-person and 29 virtual attendees representing researchers, community organizations, and practitioners. Using mixed methods, we administered a pre, post, and 6-month follow-up survey to assess knowledge, skills, and engagement; collected qualitative partner feedback; and conducted sROI analysis using stakeholder-defined indicators to estimate broader social impact. Results/Anticipated Results: Post-institute surveys showed significant gains in self-reported CEnR knowledge (+22.4%) and skills (+13.9%), along with the formation of 20 new partnerships among attendees. Six-month follow-up ( n = 29) indicated 99.4% retention of knowledge and skills, as well as 3 newly funded community–academic collaborations averaging $135,000. Qualitative feedback highlighted strengthened partnerships and multidirectional learning between community and academic participants. sROI analysis estimated a social return of approximately ten dollars ($9.61) for every dollar invested in the training, demonstrating substantial social value generated relative to cost. Discussion/Significance of Impact: We present a scalable framework combining participatory methods, logic modeling, and sROI to capture the social impact of community-engaged programming. The institute generated a 9.61:1 social return, demonstrating that thoughtfully co-designed programming can measurably strengthen participant capacity and sustainable partnerships.