Enhancing Nutrition and Obesity Research Collaborations across Institutions: Lessons from a North Carolina Focus Group

Background: There is a need to support underrepresented groups (URGs) of investigators, especially early-stage investigators, in the fields of nutrition and obesity in which substantial health inequities exist among URGs. There is also a critical need to promote diverse collaborations among researchers in the field to increase heterogeneity and scientific rigor. Collaborations between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Predominantly White Institutions (PWIs) provide opportunities for career development among investigators from URGs in biomedical research; however, little is known about the barriers and facilitators to successful collaborations. Objectives: This study aims to understand the experiences of URG researchers involved in collaborations between HBCUs and PWIs to identify barriers and facilitators of success. Methods: We conducted a virtual focus group (n = 12) over Zoom, which comprised administrative staff and faculty members from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a research-intensive PWI, and North Carolina Central University, a regionally adjacent HBCU. A professional facilitator led participants through a discussion where they were asked about their experiences in past collaborations between HBCUs and PWIs. Using inductive coding, our team developed a codebook from the focus group transcript, and we analyzed the data using a quasi-grounded theory approach. Results: Analysis of the focus group revealed 3 themes: 1) inequity of the collaborative process, 2) misalignment of capacity and expectations, and 3) stereotypes held by researchers at PWIs. These themes highlight barriers that have prevented mutually beneficial collaborations from forming among the focus group participants. Conclusions: To promote mutually beneficial research collaborations between PWIs and HBCUs and, ultimately, to promote diversity among investigators in nutrition and obesity research, awareness must be drawn to the barriers to success in these relationships. It is imperative that institutions have conversations surrounding resources, research capacity, and expectations upon entering such research collaborations.