Improving Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander health: national organizations leading community research initiatives

BACKGROUND: Functionally, many CBPR projects operate through a model of academic partners providing research expertise and community partners playing a supporting role. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate how national umbrella organizations deeply rooted in communities, cognizant of community needs, and drawing on the insights and assets of community partners, can lead efforts to address health disparities affecting their constituents through research. METHODS: Case studies of two Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander national organizations. RESULTS: Strategically engaging a diverse range of partners and securing flexible funding mechanisms that support research were important facilitators. Main challenges included limited interest of local community organizations whose primary missions as service or health care providers may deprioritize research. CONCLUSIONS: Efforts to make research relevant to the work of community partners and to instill the value of research in community partners, as well as flexible funding mechanisms, may help to promote community-driven research.