CTSI Funds Three Projects to Strengthen Trust Between Research and Community

Published: February 1, 2025

The Miami Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) is proud to announce the recipients of its Trustworthiness Seed Funding Opportunity, an initiative aimed at strengthening relationships between researchers and communities. The award is designed to support collaborative strategies that build trust by enhancing engagement, fostering long-term partnerships that address community health challenges effectively. Through this funding, the CTSI’s Community and Stakeholder Engagement (CASE) program continues its work of creating bidirectional relationships that ensure community voices are valued and integrated into research efforts.

The issue of trustworthiness in research is a persistent challenge and often a major barrier to organizations working meaningfully and bidirectionally with community partners.

Establishing trust between researchers and the communities they serve is crucial for impactful, sustainable partnerships. Trustworthiness involves consistently earning the trust of community members through transparent, respectful, and fair interactions, ensuring that communities are actively involved in decision-making and research processes.

By implementing the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) trustworthiness toolkit, these projects will promote collaborative and beneficial partnerships.

Funded Projects

Academic-Community Partnership for Reproductive Health Equity

Principal Investigator: Katrina Ciraldo, M.D., Assistant Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences
Community Partner: Grace Tillyard, Women’s Emergency Network (WEN)

This initiative seeks to foster trust between the University of Miami and WEN by learning from WEN’s existing trust-building practices. The partnership will engage students, researchers, and healthcare providers in open discussions on trust cultivation. The project will co-design client-centered practices to be piloted while ensuring the safety, confidentiality, and autonomy of WEN’s clients, laying the foundation for a long-term, trust-driven collaboration.

Developing Trust to Balance Research and Service: A UM and EZRI Collaboration

Principal Investigator: Kathryn Nowotny, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Sociology
Community Partner: Cherry Smart, Empowerment Zone Reentry Initiative (EZRI)

This project aims to deepen trust between University of Miami researchers and EZRI, a nonprofit dedicated to services helping individuals transition from being incarcerated to living in the community. This initiative will: (1) develop a plan for continued trustworthiness check-ins, (2) develop a strategic roadmap for service, research, and grant collaboration, and (3) create a dissemination plan for needs assessment findings to inform future research and outreach efforts.

U-Help: Community Advisory Board

Principal Investigators: Danielle Ibarra, Psy.D., Postdoctoral Trainee & Jill Ehrenreich-May, Ph.D., Professor, Psychology
Community Partners: Dr. Shana Cox, Lotus House & Dr. Joey Perez, South Florida Mental Health & Recovery

The University of Miami’s Child and Adolescent Mood and Anxiety Treatment (CAMAT) Program will establish a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to promote mental health awareness and support underserved populations in Miami-Dade County. Bringing together mental health professionals, community leaders, and individuals with lived experiences, the CAB will coordinate educational workshops, no-cost therapy groups, and outreach programs. Their efforts will actively combat stigma surrounding mental health while providing accessible resources.

The CTSI looks forward to seeing the lasting impact these projects will have on strengthening trust in research and community health initiatives.

To learn more about its Community and Stakeholder Engagement (CASE) program and resources available to researchers, visit miamictsi.org/case.