ComPASS: Health Equity Research Hubs

Structural factors of health inequities are the systemic and societal conditions that contribute to disparities in health among different populations. These disparities often stem from racial and socioeconomic discrimination that are deeply intertwined in historical, social, economic and political processes, and overtime have limited access to quality education, job opportunities and wealth accumulation for minoritized communities. Therefore, these communities are more likely to experience disinvestment in their neighborhoods leading to reduced access to health care and healthy foods, and lower educational and employment opportunities. The Partners Engaged in Equity Research Hub (PEER Hub), based at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, leverages our institutional and national networks and training and technical assistance (TTA) expertise to support community-led interventions to advance health equity, especially in the areas of neighborhood and built environment, social and cultural context, access and quality of community health care services, economic development, and nutrition and food environment. We bring together an interdisciplinary team of researchers, practitioners and community-based organizations with expertise and experience in addressing structural factors contributing to health inequities. Our overall goal is to support localized solutions tailored to the unique needs of the population while fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment, all crucial for sustainable change. Working in close collaboration with the NIH ComPASS Network, Coordinating Center and a multidisciplinary panel of experts (MEP), the UM PEER Hub wil: 1) provide centralized administrative, operational, and logistical infrastructure to support the network of community-led (CHESI) research studies; 2) provide locally relevent proactive technical assistance to assigned CHESI projects to support high quality implementation and future sustainability of the community-led research initiatives, and to establish data infrastructure to support and facilitate cross-site research coordination; 3) build capacity to conduct high quality community-led health equity research through tailored training and technical assistance; and 4) support and enhance effective community-academic partnerships and mentor the next generation of community engaged scholars. In keeping with our community-focused approach, our Research Hub will be guided by a Community Steering Committee to help ensure equitable practices within our own work and across our team, partners and community sites.