West Side Community Review Board

Who We Are

The West Side Community Review Board (WSCRB) advises on and reviews research done in west side Salt Lake County neighborhoods. Its goal is to ensure that studies are carried out in collaboration with, and to the benefit of, west side communities. It works with academics and other researchers as well as residents and community-based organizations looking to initiate research projects in the area.

The WSCRB is in its pilot year and are looking for researchers to submit their studies. FILL OUT THE FORM BELOW TO SUBMIT.

WSCRB Mission

We support community wellbeing by building the power of west side residents to have a voice in research.

In order to fulfill this mission we:

Evaluate the immediate and broader impact of studies on communities, considering benefits, risks, and resources.
Educate academics and community members about how to build relationships, network, and collaborate on research.
Support academics in understanding research from a community perspective, and how to bring value to communities while minimizing unintended harm.
Call attention to power dynamics in research partnerships and offer recommendations for addressing them.
Advocate for research approaches that are culturally sustaining and that value local and indigenous knowledge.
Invest in mutual learning and growth among all stakeholders and the development of an equitable, human-centered research culture.

Why submit your project to the WSCRB?

For academics and other professional researchers, the WSCRB can offer:

Input that will help you create a more effective research project and partnership that addresses community priorities
Introductions to potential community partners
Letters of support for research grants

For community-based groups the WSCRB can offer:

Support identifying research questions and approaches that will fulfill your mission
Advice on how to build equitable partnerships with researchers
Introductions to potential research partners

How to Submit Your Project for Consideration

You can submit your project through the form below. We offer two submission options: initial consults and full reviews.

Initial consults are for researchers or community groups who are in the process of developing a research project, and are looking for advice on topics such as crafting questions relevant to the community, identifying potential partners, and culturally-sustaining research methods.

Full reviews are for researchers and teams who already have a project design, and are looking to ensure that they are using best practices for community-based research. Preferably this is done before IRB review, but can be requested at any stage.

In both cases, you will be asked to attend a meeting of the Board. You will present your idea or project, have the chance to dialogue with Board members, and then receive formal written feedback after the meeting. For full reviews, you will be asked for a written document explaining how you will respond to the Board’s feedback, and additional meetings may be required. Initial consults are encouraged to return for full reviews when they are at that stage. Reviews are based on the six principles of community-based research.

If there are more projects submitted than the board has capacity to review, we will prioritize projects that:

Take place in west side Salt Lake City and West Valley City
Have the highest potential to positively or negatively impact west side communities
Address community priorities and the social determinants of health

For all inquiries or for more information, please reach out to us at info@communityresearchcollaborative.org

Submit Your Project

Submit your project below, and we will be in touch about whether or not it will be a good fit for our review process. The West Side Community Review Board is in a pilot stage. We ask that people submitting studies for review be open to learning alongside us, being flexible, and offering feedback afterward so that we can improve.

Name

Organization or Institution

Type of Review

Initial Consult Full Review

Please briefly describe your project. What do you hope to study? What community or communities are you going to work with? What, if any, partners do you already have? What methods are you considering or planning to use?

Are there any specific questions you have for the Board, or specific areas where you hope that the Board can be helpful?