Science Partnership Research Articles

Public Library‐University Partnerships in Library and Information Science: Approaches, Challenges, Implications for Translating Research into Practice

ABSTRACTWhile the potential and benefits of research‐practice partnership are well documented, there is limited discussion around approaches and challenges of establishing and sustaining public library‐university partnerships in LIS research to bridge the gap between research and practice. This panel brings together five groups of panelists to highlight a diversity of public library‐university partnerships within LIS and their approaches, models, practices, and implications toward consequential pedagogies and programming at public libraries. Through a collaborative panel discussion, this 90‐minute panel will convene scholars and members of the ASIS&T community to improve concrete approaches and practices involved in public library‐university partnerships to develop pedagogies and programming that are informed by the voices, needs, and interests across various communities.

Digging Deeper into Student–Teacher–Scientist Partnerships for Improving Students’ Achievement and Attitudes about Scientists

A feature of student–teacher–scientist partnerships (STSPs) involves students working with scientists for the purpose of helping them learn more about how scientists work and think. Previous research on STSPs has generally focused on identifying the best practices of partnerships and on identifying challenges of these partnerships. The study reported here employed a cluster-randomized trial design to test the effectiveness of the PlantingScience STSP that combines high-quality curriculum, teacher preparation, and online mentoring by professional scientists. The results of the current study show that students who participated in the PlantingScience STSP showed significant improvements in science content knowledge and attitudes about scientists compared with students in the control group. The study sample was highly representative, demographically, to the U.S. population of high schools. These results add to the limited empirical evidence about the effectiveness of STSPs on student outcomes related to science achievement and attitudes.

Mental Well-being InSciEd Out: Health Partnerships with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico

Abstract: Background: Mental health care is a top clinical concern for modern Puerto Rico, especially given a dramatically changing economic landscape paired with recurrent natural disasters. Youth are particularly at-risk due to long-term impacts of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences on health and development. Objectives: Here we present a novel clinician–community-educator–scientist partnership to address Puerto Rican youth mental well-being and wellness. We deployed pilot health workshops within the Boys & Girls Clubs of Puerto Rico to build youth mental health conceptual understanding and competencies in stress recognition and management. The work in progress herein evaluates acceptability and feasibility of our curricular model. Methods: Dialogue with community stakeholders guided curricular design of workshops for youth ages 6 to 13 and older. Prior to implementation, educators and volunteers attended a 1-day training on educational strategies. Workshop success was evaluated using qualitative approaches (i.e., narrative feedback, educator and volunteer reflections, youth Talking Drawings) to assess youth engagement, youth conceptual health understanding, and educator/volunteer impressions of feasibility and impact. Results: Initial findings indicate high acceptability and feasibility of our curricular model. Youth engagement and enthusiasm were noted in educator feedback and continue to be sustained post-workshop. Preliminary analysis shows accompanying increases in youth conceptual mental health understanding, particularly for 6- to 12-year-olds in recognition of stress and healthy coping mechanisms. Reciprocal gains were observed for volunteers. Conclusions: Activities have evolved into a formal partnership called Semilla , which features expanded analysis of mental well-being and wellness outcomes. Our collaborative model continues to engage Puerto Rican youth in the science of their well-being.

Leveraging an implementation science partnership network to understand how Federally Qualified Health Centers operationalize and address health equity.

Health equity-focused implementation research requires using definitions and approaches that are relevant and meaningful to implementation partners. We examined how health equity was operationalized and addressed at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). We conducted semi-structured interviews with leadership (n = 19) and staff (n = 12) at 10 FQHCs in an implementation science partnership network for cancer control equity to understand how they operationalized and addressed health equity. We performed rapid qualitative analysis and shared findings with a larger group of 13 community health centers (including the 10 FQHCs) at an Implementation Learning Community (ILC) to identify action areas for research and practice, followed by a second phase of synthesizing qualitative codes into themes and mapping themes onto a framework for advancing health equity in healthcare organizations. Participants defined health equity as central to the mission of FQHCs, and identified barriers (e.g. financing models) and facilitators (e.g. interpreter services) to advancing health equity at FQHCs. These findings resonated with ILC participants who emphasized the challenge of addressing root cause social determinants of inequities using limited available resources in FQHCs and the importance of developing meaningful collaboration with communities for data collection, data interpretation, data use, and data ownership. Themes captured recommendations to advance health equity in daily work at FQHCs, including investments in staffing, training, and resources. Mapping qualitative themes from health equity-centered interviews with FQHC partners onto a framework for advancing health equity in healthcare organizations can provide clear, context-specific direction for actions aimed at improving health and healthcare equity.

The science of urban regions: Public-science-community partnerships as a new mode of regional governance?

Abstract This article offers a discussion on the opportunity of collaborative, multi-actor (public, private, science, social, and civic actors) partnerships as experimental policymaking and governance solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation plans geographically localized at the urban, metropolitan, and regional level. It sets out considerations as regards the need to design newly conceived permanent or temporary institutional geographies by building on the analysis of examples of policies implementing this kind of partnerships in Italy (e.g., river contracts; river foundations; neighborhood agreements; pacts of collaboration; city science offices; urban sustainable development and innovation partnerships, etc.). Finally, the article draws attention to the challenges entailed by these partnerships including ethics, accountability, and climate justice concerns.

In whose pockets? How small Danish patient organisations balance legitimacy, representation and dependency in collaboration with public sector medical researchers and the life science industry

It is a commonly accepted idea that complex structural challenges can be solved if private actors, NGOs, and the public authorities collaborate (Brogaard in Politica 47(4):541–560, 2015), a view that has come to frame several publicly funded network activities in Denmark. This article takes its point of departure in one such project aimed at setting up a collaborative network between researchers, patient associations, and life science partners to stimulate growth in research and development. We analyse this project as a social arena with a focus on what is at stake for patient organisations in such a collaboration. Using social worlds and arena theory, we map the negotiation of discourses, images, and positions, thereby answering the questions: What kind of relationships emerge as patient organisations network with researchers and the life science industry in the name of patient centricity and how do patient organisations balance legitimacy, representation, and independence in such collaboration? We argue that patient organisations’ positions are expanding and taking new forms as they perform a balancing act, from which a ‘multiplayer position’ seems to have emerged. Lastly we propose that patient organisations’ complex interdependencies should be acknowledged, and introduce an understanding of ‘cumulative drives’ to capture the nature of these complexities.

A science and management partnership to restore coregonine diversity to the Laurentian Great Lakes

Similar to many freshwater ecosystems, the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America have undergone numerous anthropogenic stressors resulting in considerable loss of biodiversity and habitat. Among Great Lakes fishes, the coregonine sub-family has endured the most extensive declines, including extinction of several species ( Coregonus johannae, C. alpenae, and C. kiyi orientalis) and at least 10 instances of local extirpations of other species ( C. nigripinnis, C. reighardi, C. zenithicus, C. hoyi, and C. artedi) across all 5 lakes, much of which occurred prior to the 1960s owing to overfishing, interactions with non-indigenous species, and habitat loss. Despite these declines, no federal-, provincial-, or state-mandated actions were ever implemented to conserve coregonine diversity, potentially because so much of the coregonine declines occurred prior to the enactment of federal conservation legislation. Possible explanations for inaction since enactment of that legislation include insufficient data on biological vulnerability or threats, unresolved taxonomy, and limited support from the fishery management agencies and their stakeholders prior to the 2000s. In recent decades, however, several fishery management agencies have undertaken efforts to re-introduce coregonine diversity. These efforts helped lead to development of a science-based framework to restore coregonines that was universally endorsed by fishery managers representing eight U.S. states, four U.S. tribal organizations, and the province of ON, Canada, in May 2018. The basin-wide framework is based on principles of conservation biology and adaptive management. We describe details of its key steps, including planning, restoring, and evaluating, while also describing recent implementation efforts to develop methods, improve available resources, and enhance coordination across the basin. Although our paper describes a regional effort to restore native coregonines, our adaptive-management approach could be used by other multi-agency stakeholders seeking to conserve or restore native fishes.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks: Religious Pluralism and the Partnership of Religion and Science

Rabbi and Lord Jonathan Sacks (1948-2020) was the Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth from 1991 to 2013. Although he was recognized as the spiritual head of the United Synagogue, the largest synagogue body in the United Kingdom, his authority was not recognized by the Haredi Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations, or by non-Orthodox Jewish congregations that belong to Masorti, Reform and Liberal Judaism. Although his authority was limited, Rabbi Sacks was a highly influential public intellectual of global renown and impact. Writing to Jewish and non-Jewish audiences, Rabbi Sacks articulated his views on a range of existential problems and challenges, including the breakdown of the family, religious violence, the loss meaning and the rise of despair, political polarization, and climate change. While speaking in a particularly Jewish idiom and from a Judaic perspective, Rabbi Sacks became a spiritual guide to millions of people worldwide who appreciated his wisdom and the wisdom of Judaism. His contribution to the spiritual dimension of human life was formally recognized in 2016 when he received the Templeton Prize for his life-long contribution to humanity. This essay explores the relationship between Rabbi Sacks’ approach to religious pluralism and his contribution to the dialogue of religion and science. The essay argues that Rabbi Sacks was a post-secular thinker who offered a distinctly Judaic approach to humanity’s current challenges. By “universalizing particularity,” as Rabbi Sacks defined his own project, Rabbi Sacks sought to prevent the clash of civilizations and to heal our divided world.

СПУТНИК ЖИЗНИ И НАУКИ: ДНЕВНИКИ Н.Н. ПЛАТОНОВОЙ

В рецензии проанализирован дневник Надежды Николаевны Платоновой (1861–1928), изданный в 2020 г. Дана археографическая характеристика издания. Отмечен информационный потенциал дневника. В частности, дневниковые записи рассмотрены как свидетельство профессорского быта конца XIX – начала XX в. Проведен анализ коммуникативных взаимодействий как школообразующих практик петербургских историков. Рассмотрена роль Н.Н. Платоновой в научной деятельности супруга – историка Сергея Федоровича Платонова (1860–1933). The review analyzes the diary of Nadezhda Nikolaevna Platonova (1861–1928), published in 2020. There are given the archeographic characteristics of the publication. There is also estimated the information potential of the diary. In particular the diary is considered as the evidence of the professorial life of the late XIX – early XX с. There is paid special attention to the analysis of communicative interactions as school-forming practices of St. Petersburg historians. Then the review represented the role of N.N. Platonova in the academic activity of her husband – historian Sergey Fedorovich Platonov (1860–1933). The final part presents the prospects for researching the dissertation culture through the diary of N.N. Platonova.

The Community Engaged Digital Alzheimer’s Research (CEDAR) Study: A Digital Intervention to Increase Research Participation of Black American Participants in the Brain Health Registry

BackgroundAlthough Black/African American older adults bear significant inequities in prevalence, incidence, and outcomes of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, they are profoundly under-included in Alzheimer’s Disease research. Community-Engaged Research (e.g., equitable community/ science partnerships) is an evidence-based approach for improving engagement of underrepresented populations into Alzheimer’s Disease research, but has lacked scalability to the national level. As internet use among older adults from underrepresented populations continues to grow, internet-based research shows promise as a feasible, valid approach to engagement and longitudinal assessment. The Community Engaged Digital Alzheimer’s Research (CEDAR) study utilizes a community-engaged research approach to increase the engagement and research participation of Black/African American adults in the Brain Health Registry (BHR) and Alzheimer Disease clinical research.ObjectivesTo describe the methods and evaluate the feasibility of the CEDAR culturally-informed digital platform within BHR.DesignAll Black/African American participants in BHR were invited to enroll in CEDAR and to consider serving on a newly convened Community-Scientific Partnership Board to guide the study. The community board guided the development a culturally-informed cadre of engagement materials and strategies to increase research participation. Engagement strategies included incentives for study task completion, culturally-informed communications (e.g., landing page, emails and social media), resources about brain health, and video and written testimonials by CEDAR participants.SettingBHR, an Internet-based registry and cohort.ParticipantsBHR participants self-identifying as Black/African American were invited to enroll. All participants who signed an online informed consent document were enrolled.MeasurementsWe report the number of participants invited, enrolled, completed tasks, and volunteered to join the community board. We compared the demographics, cognitive profile, and baseline BHR task completion rates between CEDAR participants and all those invited to join the study. RESULTS: Of 3738 invited, 349 (9.34%) enrolled in CEDAR. 134 (37% of CEDAR participants) volunteered to join the community board, of which 19 were selected for the community board. Compared to those invited, the CEDAR cohort had a higher percentage of female participants (84.5%) and a lower percentage of participants who identify as belonging to more than one ethnocultural group (21.8%). Compared to those did not enroll in CEDAR, those enrolled in CEDAR had a higher percentage of participants completing all BHR tasks (22%) and a higher percentage of participants completing at least one cognitive test (76%). Those enrolled in CEDAR also had a higher percentage of participants having an enrolled study partner (18%).ConclusionsA culturally-informed Community-Engaged Research approach, including a remotely-convened community board, to engagement of Black/African American participants in an online research registry is feasible. This approach can be adapted for use in various clinical studies and other settings. Future studies will evaluate the effectiveness of the engagement strategies.

DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE ECOSYSTEM OF UKRAINE AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL

The article explores the theoretical and methodological aspects of the main idea of the formation of an innovation ecosystem at the national level, which consists in close cooperation and unification of the efforts of the participants in the innovation process on mutually beneficial terms of partnership, resources and competencies in building up the country’s innovative potential. It has been established that the innovation ecosystem at the national level is a synergistic partnership and collaboration of science, education and business as an institutionally coordinated mechanism of relationships from the generation and transfer of knowledge to the commercialization of innovations, that is, the entire innovation cycle of neo-industrial development of the national economy of Ukraine, its restoration in the European integration space. It is substantiated that the innovation ecosystem as a type of ecosystems in the economy allows cooperating efforts to create and promote innovations on the market. The concept of an innovation ecosystem gives a much better idea of the nature of innovation processes taking place in modern realities than the traditional systems approach. The main problems and obstacles to the development and implementation of the innovation ecosystem of Ukraine at the national level are outlined. Speaking about the fact that it is higher scientific institutions (universities) of education that should become generators of progressive structural changes in the economy and take the main place in the innovation ecosystem, the article considers the progressive experience of new types of universities. That is why it is proposed to single out the main instruments of these changes: 1) identification of target markets and segments; 2) building a system of client-centric key performance indicators; 3) optimization of the structure and partnership activities of scientific and higher educational institutions.

GC Insights: Enhancing inclusive engagement with the geosciences through art–science collaborations

Abstract. Art–science partnerships offer valuable opportunities to enhance inclusive engagement with research through collaborative creative practice. Here, we present two case studies of interdisciplinary approaches to contextualising environmental science for wider audiences. We synthesise lessons learnt from these case studies and associated stakeholders to provide advice for conducting successful art–science collaborations that help to broaden interactions with environmental geoscience research.

Sanctions economy: the strength of the “weak ties” of russian management

The purpose of the article is to identify the risks of geo-economic fragmentation and deglobalization of integration during the period of the sanctions economy, their manifestation at the level of national economic entities, determination of overcoming factors. The subject of the study is the processes of adaptation of Russian business to the conditions of the global crisis of the pandemic period and anti-Russian sanctions, measures of state regulation of import substitution measures and reduction of supply chain gaps and partnerships. The main risks of globalization and integration of a socio-cultural nature are identified: distrust of government institutions, cross-cultural and ethno-humanitarian gaps, economic pessimism. One of the factors of containment of deglobalization gaps has been identified, which consists in the “weak ties” of existing partnerships, their relational capital. Examples of sustainable partnerships in business, science and education led to the conclusion that it is necessary to shift the emphasis in the training of managerial personnel to meritocratic principles of corporate theory, taking into account the interests of all stakeholders of companies and public sector organizations.

The benefits of big-team science for conservation: Lessons learned from trinational monarch butterfly collaborations

Many pressing conservation issues are complex problems caused by multiple social and environmental drivers; their resolution is aided by interdisciplinary teams of scientists, decision makers, and stakeholders working together. In these situations, how do we generate science to effectively guide conservation (resource management and policy) decisions? This paper describes elements of successful big-team science in conservation, as well as shortcomings and lessons learned, based on our work with the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in North America. We summarize literature on effective science teams, extracting information about elements of success, effective implementation approaches, and barriers or pitfalls. We then describe recent and ongoing conservation science for the monarch butterfly in North America. We focus primarily on the activities of the Monarch Conservation Science Partnership–an international collaboration of interdisciplinary scientists, policy experts and natural resource managers spanning government, non-governmental and academic institutions—which developed science to inform imperilment status, recovery options, and monitoring strategies. We couch these science efforts in the adaptative management framework of Strategic Habitat Conservation, the business model for conservation employed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to inform decision-making needs identified by stakeholders from Canada, the United States, and Mexico. We conclude with elements critical to effective big-team conservation science, discuss why science teams focused on applied conservation problems are unique relative to science teams focusing on traditional or theoretical research, and list benefits of big team science in conservation.

Abstract P570: The Association of Ideal Cardiovascular Health With Self-Reported Health in Black American Women

Introduction: Black American women suffer disproportionately from an increased burden of cardiovascular health (CVH) risk factors, earlier onset of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and higher CVD mortality when compared to their White women. The Partnering in Negating Statistics (P.I.N.S.) for Black Women Initiative is an academic-community-government partnership aimed at uplifting Black women to achieve total health and wellness through the provision of education, access to resources, and partnership in science. Women’s community wellness events have operationalized the P.I.N.S. Initiative mission since 2021, drawing Black women and their families to take part in resources like cardiovascular disease screenings (AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 [LS7] and Life’s Essential 8 [LE8]) and education. The study presented herein examined the association of ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) with self-reported health among Black American women who attended the community wellness events. Methods: Community wellness events focusing on Black women occurred in 2021 and 2022. At these events, a battery of measurements including CVH metrics (blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, body mass index [BMI], physical activity, smoking, diet and sleep duration) and self-reported health(poor, fair, good, excellent) were collected from participants who chose to participate in biometric screening. The associations between LS7 (range 0-14)/LE8 (range 0-100) with self-reported health were tested using multinomial logistic regression controlling for age, income, and education. Results: One-hundred and twenty-three Black American women with complete LS7 and self-reported health data were included in the analysis 2021 and 2022, of those 63 of participants in 2022 had LE8 data. The mean age of participants was 50 (SD 14), 66%, 23%, 7% and 2% were employed, retired, unemployed and students, 76% and 15%, were enrolled in private insurance, Medicaid/Medicare and 15% had no insurance. Sixty-nine percent had educational attainment ≥ college. In fully adjusted analyses, a 1-unit increase (range 4-13) in LS7 was associated with a 34% lower odds of fair vs. excellent self-reported health (OR 0.66, 95%CI: 0.46, 0.96,p=0.0281). A 1-unit increase in LE8 (range 38-91) was associated with a 13% lower odds of fair vs. excellent self-reported health (OR 0.87, 95%CI: 0.78, 0.98, p=0.0258). Conclusion: Attainment of higher ICH was associated with lower odds of fair vs. excellent self-reported health among Black American women. This finding is important in community-based health interventions and clinical trial recruitment in historically underrepresented populations including Black women, as individuals who appropriately recognize their health status may be more likely to engage in clinical and community-based research to improve health.

Abstract 03: Partnering in Negating Statistics for Black Women: A Women's Community Wellness Initiative

Background: Black Americans have the highest rate of mortality from chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes) among all non-indigenous races and ethnicities. Higher attainment of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH), as indicated by AHA’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7; glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure, body mass index, diet, physical activity, smoking), and Life’s Essential 8 metrics (LE8: LS7 + sleep duration) is associated with a lower risk of mortality from chronic disease among all races and ethnicities. About 70% of health outcomes are influenced by social determinants of health (SDoH) and lifestyle behaviors. Unfortunately, Black American women are more likely to be negatively impacted by SDoH and less likely to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors than their White counterparts. The Partnering in Negating Statistics (P.I.N.S.) for Black Women Initiative began in 2021 to educate, provide access to resources, and partner in science toward promoting health and wellness among Black women. Herein described is the commencement of the P.I.N.S. Initiative through community-based wellness events and community-dwelling Black women’s attainment of LS7 and LE8. Methods: The P.I.N.S. Initiative capitalized on engagement of academic-community-government partnerships to plan and implement community-based wellness events for Black women. Large signature events boasted opportunities to participate in education, screenings (e.g., mammograms, pap smears, and LS7/LE8 screening), and research. In addition to capture of screening data, event feasibility was assessed via a program evaluation at signature events in August 2021 and 2022. Descriptive statistics (quantitative data) and thematic content analysis (qualitative data) were performed. Results: Community-based wellness events boasted high feasibility in the areas of demand and acceptability. Five hundred Black women attended the events, completing a total of 30 mammograms, 24 pap smears, and 418 biometric screenings. Of women with complete LS7 (N = 123) and LE8 (N = 63) data, the median [interquartile range] LS7 and LE8 scores were 8 [7-10] on a 0-14 scale and 63 [54, 73] on a 0-100 scale. From evaluations (N = 111), attendees (20-74 years old) were well educated (66% with a college degree) and mostly un-partnered (57%). Largely, women heard about our event through family, friends, and community partners. Women were very to extremely satisfied with wellness content (82%) and the program overall (85%). Respondents found value in community engagement and reported the need for an annual event. Conclusion: The P.I.N.S. Initiative is a feasible avenue to engage Black women with largely intermediate cardiovascular health in wellness-focused services. This initiative provides a modifiable framework for further research toward identifying interventions to promote ideal CVH and equitable cardiovascular outcomes.

South Africa and the DRC deepen science, technology, and innovation partnership

South Africa and the DRC deepen science, technology, and innovation partnership

Amplifying consumers as partners in dissemination and implementation science and practice.

This Viewpoint argues for consumers (people with lived experience and their families) to be amplified as key partners in dissemination and implementation science and practice. We contend that consumer opinion and consumer demand can be harnessed to influence practitioners and policymakers. Amplifying consumers' voices can improve the fit of evidence-based interventions to the intended end user. We offer recommendations of frameworks to engage consumers in the dissemination and implementation of health interventions. We discuss the primary types of evidence consumers may rely upon, including testimonials and lived experience. Our intention is for this Viewpoint to continue the momentum in dissemination and implementation science and practice of engaging consumers in our work.

OPEN INNOVATION PRACTICE: CHANNELS FOR COLLABORATION AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR UKRAINE

Open innovation practice is an effective tool for collaborative work between different agents involved in the process of innovation creation (science, business, government, and civil society). It enhances knowledge creation, diffusion, and use; intensifying technology transfer and commercialization of scientific results. In this context, the paper aims to explore and profile the nature of open innovation practice and its implementation in Ukraine. In the article, the essence of open innovation practice has been considered. The types of open innovation have been identified, taking into account inbound (outside-in), outbound (outside-out), and coupled open innovation. The channels of purposive knowledge outflows and inflows as elements of the open innovation mechanism have been presented in the paper. It has been identified, that the coupled open innovation is more suitable for business and science collaboration. Inbound open innovation is often used as well for collaboration between representatives of business and science and can bring fruitful outcomes. However, the type of open innovation that combines inbound and outbound open innovation is more effective for business and science partnerships. Outbound open innovation is more suitable for business organizations, which decide to share unused internally developed ideas and assets with external parties to use in their activity. The article highlights the main tools of open innovation practices in Ukraine. The different online platforms have been overviewed. It has been found, that in Ukraine an efficient tool for the implementation of open innovation practice is e-infrastructure. After the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, open innovation practice in combination with different online platforms can be used to find innovative solutions for rebuilding Ukraine during the war and post-war period.

The community voices program to facilitate community-academic researcher partnerships: Stakeholder perspectives on the program's usefulness.

The Institute of Translational Health Sciences (Clinical and Translational Science Awards Program hub) developed a program coined Community Voices to invite communities to submit project ideas and be matched with academic researchers. We describe formative research to understand community and academic researcher perspectives on how the program could facilitate collaborations addressing community priorities. We conducted four focus groups with 31 community-based organization (CBO) representatives and 11 semi-structured interviews with academic researchers in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho regions. Questions included the appeal of Community Voices to engage community and academic partners, potential program usefulness, and Community Voices' potential role in building community-academic partnerships. We used an inductive, constant comparison approach to code transcripts and thematic analysis to generate themes. Most CBO representatives were female (87.1%) and Hispanic/Latino (61.3%). Most academic researchers had a PhD (63.6%) and worked at a university (81.8%). The themes were: (1) community-academic partnerships built on trust will offer mutual benefit, (2) community-initiated project ideas should prioritize community needs, (3) matchmaking will accelerate connections but should not replace time to foster partnership, (4) Community Voices should go beyond matchmaking and provide ongoing support/training, and (5) fostering effective communication is key to partnership success. Community Voices is a novel, bidirectional community engagement program model that advances current practices of prioritizing researchers' project ideas. This community-driven program may shift the future direction of community engagement practices where prioritizing community's ideas becomes the norm of community-academic partnerships in clinical and translational science.