Community Health Research with Community Health Council

Do I need to have a specific idea of a community health research topic prior to partnering with CHC to conduct research?

No. After meeting in-person, or via video online, both yourself (or your team) and CHC decide whether or not to take the next steps towards putting together a research project idea. If we decide to take the next steps together, you will be partnered with a preceptor who serves as the point-of-contact with whom you will communicate via phone or in-person at the same time for at least 30 minutes every week for project planning. During these meetings, it is not uncommon that research ideas go in a new unforeseen direction.

How does Community Health Council define “community health?”

Community health research deals with the social and biological determinants of health. CHC takes a comprehensive view towards the reasons people get sick, often citing root causes that go beyond the biological. For example, malaria is not merely caused by plasmodium falciparum alone. Rather, the other causes of malaria involve poor or absent sewage systems, which lead to the abundance of puddles, which leads to mosquito breeding, which leads to increased plasmodium falciparum. Hence, the root cause of malaria is therefore also neglected puddles in the community. Community health research topics, therefore, can be quite broad.

Do I need to publish my community health research in order to partner with CHC?

No.

How does Community Health Council ensure ethical research standards?

All research conducted with CHC requires approval by a university internal review board, in addition to the correct qualifying entities in-country, such as a Ministry of Health, all of which CHC will facilitate.

Do I need to be affiliated with a university based in the United States to participate in research with Community Health Council?

Students and faculty from many countries have participated in Community Health Council research in the past. All that is required is an appropriate approving body that ensures the highest ethical standards for the community health research project proposed.

How much time does it take to obtain internal review board approval?

That depends on the university, and it depends on the type of research being conducted. Simple patient interviews that inquire about water sanitation habits, for example, are much easier and quicker to approve than, for example, a project that involves the collection of blood samples. Timing also depends on your own ability to complete ethics certification, if necessary for your project, such as CITI certification. If you are joining a pre-existing research project, you may not need any lead time whatsoever, but it is conceivable that your research will require 9 months preparation in order to conduct it within rigorous ethical standards guided by the appropriate approving bodies. Your community health mentor provides counsel through this entire process.

Where can I find examples of past research partnerships?

Click here for a few examples of previous community health research projects.

Where does funding come from for these projects?

Funding is obtained from sources external to CHC unless a project idea can be folded into internal projects already funded within CHC.

Will CHC help guide me as I seek funding?

Yes. Your CHC community health mentor is your resource from the very beginning until the very end of your research project, and this includes help seeking funding.

Can I host a fundraiser to raise funds for my research project?

Yes, and people have done this in the past. Working in global settings of extreme poverty, a little funding can go a long way, and projects can sometimes be completed for as little as $1,500 USD, inclusive of cost of travel and food.

How do I know how much my research project will cost?

You will work out a budget with your preceptor and is dependent on your research interests and goals. Past project budgets range from $1,500 to $20,000 USD, including cost of travel and food.

Will CHC write a letter of support for my travel visa if I am not a US citizen and my visa application requires it?

Yes, once your project is finalized.

I want to volunteer to help perform data analysis from home and do not want to travel anywhere. Is this possible?

Yes. Apply to Volunteer from Home.

How do I submit an interest form for research with CHC?

Submit your interest by filling this form.

Where can I ask more questions about research abroad with Community Health Council?

Schedule a phone call with us or email Volunteer@CommunityHealthCouncil.org.