Patient Research Advisory Board

The Community Research Fellows Training (CRFT) Program’s Patient Research Advisory Board (PRAB) is now open for proposal/project review. The PRAB was founded by and consists of CRFT program alumni who have completed a 15-week training program on research methods and are certified to conduct research with human subjects by the Human Research Protections Office at the Washington University School of Medicine. The PRAB is designed to help investigators with community-engaged or community-based research proposals/projects by having community members review proposals and give feedback.

PRAB submission

Submissions should be emailed to PRAB at StlouisPRAB@gmail.com

Goal and Objectives

The St. Louis Patient Research Advisory Board will build bridges between community and researchers through a mutually beneficial, collaborative framework that increases research knowledge, advocates for community health concerns, and addresses health disparities. To accomplish this, the PRAB will:

  1. Engage community health advocates, community-based organizations, academic researchers and clinicians to participate as equal partners in the research process.
  2. Serve in an advisory role to academic researchers on issues of community engagement, building trust and ethical considerations of research and study design.
  3. Provide a forum that allows for mutually beneficial communication between community stakeholders and academic researchers on meaningful, relevant clinical concerns.
  4. Inform, guide and review grant proposals.
  5. Foster academic community linkages and disseminate information about clinical research findings pertinent to the community.

Vision Statement

How the community will benefit from the PRAB:

  • Community members who participate in research projects will feel certain that their engagement is valuable.
  • The PRAB will ensure grant proposals and research activities are comprehensive, ethical, professional, authentic, accurate and reliable, and use measures that can be realistically implemented in identified community settings.

PRAB Co-Chairs
CRFT alumni Jackie Wilkins and Vanessa Loyd

PRAB Review Process

Investigators interested in having a proposal reviewed by the PRAB should submit:

  1. RFA or funding announcement
  2. Full proposal (including human subjects and informed consent documents where applicable)
  3. List of specific items they would like feedback on or questions for the PRAB

The PRAB meets monthly and will accept proposals on a rolling basis; proposals must be received by the 1st of the month to be reviewed at the PRAB meeting that month.

  • PRAB Co-Chairs will determine if the PRAB will review a proposal.
  • If selected for review, the proposal will be reviewed by 3-5 PRAB members.
  • Reviewed proposals will be discussed at the monthly PRAB meeting.
  • Investigators will be invited to the meeting to give a brief (10-15) minute presentation on the project and specific items for PRAB feedback. PRAB members will have Q & A with investigators.
  • PRAB members will reconvene in private to discuss each project and discuss recommendations for the project.
  • PRAB will send investigator recommendations for improvement or approval (letter of support).