180+ networks across 21 NJ counties
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CORE OVERVIEW
NJACTS draws leading academic, industry and community groups together to understand and address the health needs of New Jersey. Central to this is engagement with our community to ensure that our efforts respond to their priorities. Our goal is to conduct research with the New Jersey community, in the community and for the community, and yet, have impact beyond our state’s boundaries.
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Empowering Community-Based Research
Through Cultural and Linguistic Collaboration
- Navigating interpreter-mediated encounters
- Effective translation for research
- Understanding cultural nuances in literacy, trust, and belonging
Through collaboration across disciplines and leveraging expertise within and beyond Rutgers, CrEER ensures that research is inclusive, culturally relevant, and impactful both locally and globally.
👉 Discover how CrEER is shaping the future of community-based research here.
Association for Clinical and Translational Science (ATCS) Membership for Community Members
Did you know that community members are eligible to become members of ACTS through their affiliation with NJ ACTS?
Community members are able to access ACTS’ member benefits, including:
- Discounted registration to the annual Translational Science meeting
- Opportunities to participate in Special Interest Groups and Committees
- Access to the community platform website and more!
Resource for Investigators – CTSA Compendium of D&I Catalogs
Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research focuses on translating evidence-based interventions into real-world settings to improve health outcomes in the broader community.
An open-source CTSA Compendium of D&I Catalogs has been developed by the Clinical & Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program’s “Advancing Dissemination and Implementation Sciences in CTSAs” working group to support investigators at any stage of their D&I skill-building journey. It provides a curated list of resource catalogs relevant to the conduct of D&I science. The materials include frameworks/theories/models, methods/measures, funding resources, practice resources, training, and health equity resources. Click here to learn more.
CIRTification – A New Alternative to CITI for Community Partners
The rollout of CIRTification at Rutgers has begun. The CIRTification program provides research ethics training alternative for individuals in community organizations, with limited understanding of conducting human research and protecting potential research participants. This option provides training that focuses on establishing the skills in community partners to conduct human subject research effectively and safely in their communities.
To learn more about the program at Rutgers, please visit this link CIRTification.
NJ ACTS COMMUNITY SCIENTIST PROGRAM
This program is designed to provide researchers with rapid feedback from expert community members to ensure their research projects are culturally appropriate and relevant to the community.
PARTICIPATE IN OUR NEXT COHORT!
For more information, please contact njactscommunity@rwjms.rutgers.edu
NJ HEROES TOO
Through the ongoing New Jersey Healthcare Essential Worker Outreach and Education Study – Testing Overlooked Occupations (NJ HEROES TOO), we have gained a wealth of data on COVID-19’s effects, gleaned valuable learnings on attitudes toward testing and vaccines, and improved COVID-19 awareness in underserved communities.
Community Blog
Scientists Identify Agent of Transformation In Protein Blobs That Morph From Liquid to Solid.
An international research collaboration led by Rutgers University-New Brunswick scientists that examined microscopic blobs of protein found in human cells has discovered that some morph from an almost honey-like substance to a hard candy-like solid. These mysterious...
Canadian Wildfire Smoke Cooled New York by 3 Degrees and Trapped Air Toxicants.
When smoke from Canadian wildfires turned New York City skies apocalyptically orange in June 2023, it delivered catastrophic air quality and an unexpected side effect: cooling the New York City region by about 3 degrees Celsius. This temperature drop, called “global...
NJACTS Community Engagement Core Available Services
Virtual Community Engagement Salon The NJ ACTS CEC Virtual Community Engagement Salons bring researchers together with patients, community members and health care stakeholders to actively participate in cross-talk — to incubate ideas for engagement in the...
Low Medicaid rates force N.J. pediatrician to retire after 50 years, she says.
Last year, Dr. Montrea Thomas thought she had a few more years left before she would have to retire her pediatric practice in Orange. But in a couple of weeks, the 78-year-old pediatrician, who mostly cares for low-income children, will close her office because she...
Scientists Find Why Ozempic Changes the Types of Food People Eat.
Up to 12% of Americans say they’ve used a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication like Ozempic at some point, making this an incredibly popular class of drugs. But while these medications help with blood sugar management and weight loss, they can also have a massive impact...
Rutgers Physician Assistant Studies is Third in U.S. News and World Report’s Graduate School Rankings.
The physician assistant program at the Rutgers School of Health Professions is ranked No. 3 in the nation for 2025-26, according to U.S. News & World Report Best Graduate Schools—the first time it has reached the top five in its 50-year history. Recognized...