Evaluating Research Centers in Minority Institutions: Framework, Metrics, Best Practices, and Challenges

Angela Sy, Traci Hayes, Kelly Laurila, Carlamarie Noboa, Robbert J. Langwerden, Michelle M. Hospital, Doris A. Andújar-Pérez, Lakesha Stevenson, Suzanne M. Randolph Cunningham, Latrice Rollins, Hala Madanat, Tanya Penn and Shiva Mehravaran
Additional contact information
Angela Sy: Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Traci Hayes: Department of Public Health, School of Health Professions, University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS 39406, USA
Kelly Laurila: Department of Anthropology, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
Carlamarie Noboa: Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus, 00938 San Juan, Puerto Rico
Robbert J. Langwerden: Community-Based Research Institute, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Michelle M. Hospital: Department of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health & Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
Doris A. Andújar-Pérez: Ponce Research Institute, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce 00732, Puerto Rico
Lakesha Stevenson: Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development, Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, GA 30314, USA
Suzanne M. Randolph Cunningham: Center for Community Prevention and Treatment Research, Division of Research and Evaluation, The MayaTech Corporation, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Latrice Rollins: Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30310, USA
Hala Madanat: Division of Research and Innovation, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
Tanya Penn: Institute of Public Health, School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
Shiva Mehravaran: Department of Computer Science, School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD 21251, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-20

Abstract: The NIH-funded Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program is currently funding 18 academic institutions to strengthen the research environment and contribution to health disparities research. The purpose of this multiphase mixed-methods study was to establish a uniform evaluation framework for demonstrating the collective success of this research consortium. Methods included discussions of aims and logic models at the RCMI Evaluators’ Workshop, a literature review to inform an evaluation conceptual framework, and a case study survey to obtain evaluation-related information and metrics. Ten RCMIs participated in the workshop and 14 submitted responses to the survey. The resultant RCMI Evaluation Conceptual Model presents a practical ongoing approach to document RCMIs’ impacts on health disparities. Survey results identified 37 common metrics under four primary categories. Evaluation challenges were issues related to limited human resources, data collection, decision-making, defining metrics, cost-sharing, and revenue-generation. There is a need for further collaborative efforts across RCMI sites to engage program leadership and community stakeholders in addressing the identified evaluation challenges and measurement. Program leadership should be engaged to apply the Evaluation Conceptual Framework and common metrics to allow for valid inter-institutional comparisons and consortium-wide evaluations. Stakeholders could ensure evaluation metrics are used to facilitate community impacts.

Keywords: RCMI; program evaluation; evaluation metrics; collaboration; consortium-wide evaluation; evaluation framework; health disparities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8373/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/22/8373/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:22:p:8373-:d:443922

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().