Resources for research outreach

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New intranet site eases recruitment access into communities of color

Photo by Stephanie Cartier Community Outreach Manager Juan Cotto helps researchers like Dr. Gloria Coronado recruit diverse study participants.

Starting a study is an immense undertaking. There are proposals to write, funding to obtain, and participants to recruit. While there are many challenges, finding and recruiting the right people to participate in a given study can sometimes be the most difficult. That's where Juan Cotto comes in. He's been with the Center for about 10 months as the community outreach manager, and together with Kit Herrod, director of external relations, they have created a Community Outreach intranet site that identifies resources to help scientists and study recruiters develop and execute plans for recruiting from a diverse pool of participants.

"The site is really designed to help researchers get the information they need to recruit from communities of color," Herrod said. "Because there's increasing pressure from the National Institutes of Health to address what we're doing to recruit women and participants of color, this is a great asset."

The new site, launched in May, includes links to statistical data and demographics. Users can find information about populations, economics, ethnic backgrounds and disease data on national, regional and local levels.

The site also provides a calendar of various events that may be appropriate for recruitment activities and a list of community leaders to contact for assistance. "That's important because recruiters can reach them directly. They don't have to call through me to get to someone. We have talked with the individuals on the list, so they are prepared to work with people here at the Center. They have information about our needs and specific projects," Cotto said.

The NIH and Congress mandate that all studies receiving NIH funding include women and ethnically diverse populations. To help with compliance, the intranet site provides a document that researchers can incorporate into proposals to provide a picture of what the Center is doing at a global level to engage communities of color.

'A jumping-off point'

Herrod and Cotto both emphasize that the online tools are a jumping-off point. "We'll sit down and give scientists and researchers some initial resources, but we'll also help develop a plan," Herrod said. "One of the things that must be outlined in a proposal is how their recruitment will meet the requirements. We can help develop that piece of the plan."

"Internally, we want to provide information that's pertinent, up-to-date and that will help the researchers and different groups to have rich community information that they'll be able to use," Cotto said. "And if there's a question that can't be answered online, I can find the people who can answer it."

If there are any noticeable gaps in online information, Cotto and Herrod want to hear about it. "It's a work in progress. If there's something we haven't included, it's because we didn't know it would be useful, so please let us know," Herrod said.

The team hopes that the online tool will help recruiters save time and help the Center continue to engage underserved and ethnically diverse populations. "I want them to feel that this is a really easy process and that they can get some really good information in a short period of time without too much difficulty," Cotto said. "This can be a tough nut to crack, but we're here to help."

Access the community outreach site at centernet.fhcrc.org/CN/depts/community_outreach.

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