Equity in CBPR budgets

First, let me say one thing... I have actually not taken notes on many of the great presentations on the community-interaction elements of this institute, I think that's because many of these factors are more familiar territory to me, and some very intuitive, but just to be good, I'll review some of the main components here:

• do not underestimate how long and how much of an investment it'll take for a researcher to build trust with the community partners (especially if you are out of community!)
• This is a business relationship, not a marriage, do not rely on good feelings, rely on following all good business principals of mutual respect, documented expectations, money for work, joint tasks and timelines, etc.
• Researchers should expect to put more than the contracted into the community partner, help them with their capital campaign, etc.
• Face it, there's usually a fair amount of in-kind given by both sides.
• Now this is just my own deduction, but after hearing some amazing stories of CBPR relationships I think one of the smartest things either the community or researcher can do is make sure they partner with a hotshot on the other side. You will get the best performance, the most bestest results if you invest in a person/organization who has proven to be really competent, or even outstanding if you can find them.
  
• Respect the fact that answers for many significant problems exist in that community knowledge. Sometimes ideas about methods to get there may exist more in the researcher side, tho not as certainly.
  
• CBPR applications at NIH get scored in part on their CBPR infrastructure and partnership
  

Now onto a few comments on CBPR budgets and equity between both sides.

• make sure you adequately compensate all activities of your community partners, presentation travel, etc.
  
• make sure you pay indirects to your community partner
• universities can only charge indirect on first $25k of a subcontract, so they're not always charging double indirect for that item.
  
• get a focused subcontract for the community deliverables, use eval measures on both sides to make sure you keep to performance. Likewise watch to make sure your researchers all perform, otherwise you'll sour your community partnership.
  
• make sure your subcontract to the community group pays for a staff position, not just unassigned deliverables
  

OK, I've gotta get back to writing, because good news is I think I have enough done to submit my draft application as one of the 3 that'll get big review from everyone tomorrow! Yay that, and weeha, wasn't sure that could happen. On the other hand, I've just gotten feedback that my methods section sucks (well politer language was used).... so I gotta haul ass before it's due at 8 pm tonite.