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Quarterly Update: Reducing Administrative Barriers to Community-Engaged Research at Duke

WORKING GROUP UPDATES

The Partnering for Effective Research Collaborations (PERC) Working Group prioritized issues, and formed groups targeting specific areas impacting community-engaged research, including:

  • IRB Process & Training
    • An annotated iRIS form is in progress, which should help research teams include information that is critical for IRB review of community-engaged studies.  In addition, there are plans to create sample verbal and written consent templates that better reflect activities associated with community-engaged research (i.e., focus groups, behavioral interventions, etc.)
    • PERC spearheaded the process to allow community partners to take some Campus IRB modules rather than DUHS CITI requirements. The working group is working to translate those instructions into Spanish. 
  • Compensation to agencies and individuals 
    • Duke Finance has agreed on the definition of a community partner eligible for net 0-day payments and established an email address for submitting requests. This process will be piloted from May to July within select units, followed by a broader university-wide rollout.
    • The list of procurement documents and instructions that require translation into Spanish has been finalized. The team is currently identifying a group to provide the necessary translations.
  • Duke-based guidance on NIH allowable costs
    • Tackling line items in Duke-based guidance on NIH Allowable Costs to Improve Human Participation and Inclusion. The working group has provided guidance for childcare and is working on travel/meals.

For a full listing of issue-focused working groups and their outcomes to date please see PERC's progress page.

COMMUNICATIONS & ENGAGEMENT

Community-Engaged Research Stakeholder Meeting: PERC Governance Team and Working Group met with Duke administrative partners and key stakeholders to provide an update on the initiative and discuss opportunities for increasing efficiency and partnership in the current research climate.

Communications: 

If you are interested in PERC presenting at a meeting you host, please contact us.

Priorities for Summer 2025

  • Pilot and broader rollout of net 0-day payments for community partners
  • Continue tackling line items in Duke-based guidance on NIH Allowable Costs to Improve Human Participation
  • Working with key stakeholders to increase efficiency for research administrative processes impacting community partners

In Case You Missed It

Debbie Goldstein Selected for New Role to Foster Community-Engaged Scholarship

After a national search, Deborah (Debbie) Goldstein was selected as the new associate vice president/associate vice provost for community-engaged scholarship.

In her new role, she leads the Duke Center for Community Engagement and North Carolina Leadership Forum. Debbie, along with the expertise of the Duke Center for Community Engagement's faculty director, Mina Silberberg, Ph.D., will help Duke build a solid foundation to expand opportunities for engagement and shared success with communities.

Debbie's first day in the new role was March 1, 2025. 

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