Background: Scholars and students drawn to health research with underserved communities often are motivated by their commitment to understand and change poor health outcomes. Yet, they may have limited exposure to application and translation skills and struggle to convey the potential of their work to communities. Exposure to application and translation skills training can augment scholars’ and students’ existing skills to communicate with communities, local leadership, and practitioners. Objective: The intention of Research, Application and Translation Academy (RATA) developed by the Outreach Core of the NCI funded Native American Cancer Research Prevention Partnership was to provide and augment the understanding of application and translation processes and project-specific technical assistance to develop educational information in a range of media, research- informed policy briefs, and presentations. Methods: RATA framework uses a three- stage training approach: awareness through acceptance to adoption. The training is provided to research teams, ideally with community partners. Components include:

1) Overview of terms, steps to identify characteristics of a targeted audience, and review of communication venues, e.g., presentations, radio, newspaper, social media and policy briefs; 2) team-based practice in defining characteristics and motivations of specific target audiences, message design and local methods and trusted sources of communication; and 4) implementation of communication and message strategies; and 5) evaluation of outreach. Conclusion: RATA strengths include the use of team-based exercises, a review of effective and ineffective messaging, incorporating interactive technology platforms, project-specific technical support, and evaluation metrics. Challenges are leadership investment and understanding of the importance of non-scientific dissemination, and a tendency to not incorporate RATA skills or move plans to action. With the emphasis on steps to identify the target audience, tailor the messages, use locally effective communication strategies and action, RATA can contribute to conveying that the knowledge generated in health research can benefit communities.

Citation Format: Carol Goldtooth, Andria Begay, Nicolette I. Teufel-Shone. Community focused research, application and translation academy for investigators [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: Thirteenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2020 Oct 2-4. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(12 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-048.