What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to show how small grants can expedite the sharing of research findings with communities and stimulate further collaborations.

May 9, 2026Open Access

250 Funding community dissemination of research findings: A practical strategy to accelerate the speed of translation

Key Points

The aim is to show how small grants can expedite the sharing of research findings with communities and stimulate further collaborations.
PACE grants awarded to support dissemination efforts for community-engaged research.
15 projects funded over four cycles totaling $75,000, emphasizing community involvement.
Final reports from projects detailed their dissemination approaches and outcomes.
15 funded projects utilized diverse strategies, leading to increased community awareness and engagement.
Reported outcomes included enhanced trust and momentum for future collaborations.
Findings suggest modest funding can significantly impact community-centered research translation.

Abstract

Objectives/Goals: To demonstrate how small grant funding (up to 5, 000) for the dissemination of community-academic partnered research findings can accelerate translation by delivering relevant, actionable information to communities, supporting ongoing partnerships, and catalyzing future research and funding opportunities. Methods/Study Population: Promoting Academic and Community Engagement (PACE) dissemination grants were awarded through a competitive funding mechanism. Over four funding cycles, the program received 25 submissions and funded 15 projects, awarding a total of 75, 000 to projects across Michigan. The grants supported established community-academic partnerships to share their community-engaged research (CEnR) findings with communities of interest. Dissemination was defined as returning research results to nonacademic audiences to accelerate translation. Traditional scholarly dissemination (e. g. , publications or conferences) was not eligible. All awardees submitted final reports detailing their dissemination strategies, impacts, and outcomes. Results/Anticipated Results: The PACE grants were designed to accelerate the translation of research into communities through focused, community-facing dissemination. Across four funding cycles, 15 funded projects reported employing broad dissemination strategies, including community forums, multimedia campaigns, artistic expression, and local events. Final reports described increased community awareness, enhanced trust and engagement, and momentum for follow-up collaborations and funding proposals. The poster will present key findings and selected examples to illustrate how modest, targeted investments can lead to measurable impacts in research translation at the community level. Discussion/Significance of Impact: This poster will highlight how CTSAs can implement scalable, low-cost funding mechanisms to support community dissemination of research. Programs like PACE foster academic-community engagement, accelerate translation of findings, and offer a replicable model for supporting community-centered translational science.

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