The CEI Symposium is a day-long, multifaceted event focused on healthcare and health issues that affect our communities. This event examines the importance of why and how community engagement and collaboration are effective in social/behavioral research and essential in community building practices. Weaving together plenary sessions, keynote speakers, poster sessions, break-out discussions and networking opportunities, the CEI Symposium provides multiple ways to get involved and to build collaboration.
Power in Partnerships
The 2026 Community Engagement Institute (CEI) Symposium will be presented as part of Power in Partnerships: Communities Shaping Research and Change, November 11-12, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama.
Hosted by the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center in collaboration with the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS), this community-led forum will bring together community partners, leaders, researchers, and health professionals to share perspectives, strengthen partnerships, and advance community health.
Event Details
- Welcome Dinner: Wednesday, November 11, 2026 | 5:30-7:30 PM CT
- Community Forum: Thursday, November 12, 2026 | 7:30 AM-3:30 PM CT (breakfast and lunch provided)
- Optional Open House: Thursday, November 12 | 3:30-4:30 PM CT (Mobile Health & Wellness Units display)
- Location: Marnix E. Heersink Conference Center
Altec/Styslinger Genomic Medicine & Data Sciences Building (ALGEN)
701 19th Street South
Birmingham, AL 35233
Program Highlights
The forum will feature interactive discussions, community-centered learning opportunities, and activities designed to support meaningful community-research partnerships. Highlights include:
- Community Research Panels: "Energizing Your Community & Making Funding Work" and "Nothing About Us Without Us," exploring community leadership, research partnerships, and keeping community voices central to research.
- Community Science Commons: A first look at a new CCTS resource hub, including a live poll on community health priorities.
- A Seat at the Table: An interactive CCTS ACTion Learning session featuring live actors and collaborative problem-solving.
- Research Support Spotlight: An introduction to the P3 EQUATE Maternal & Infant Research, Engagement & Support Center.
- Keynote Address: George A. Mensah, MD, Director of the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Learn more about the keynote speaker.
- Hands-on AI Workshop: Practical and appropriate uses of artificial intelligence. Participants should bring a laptop, tablet, or phone.
- Community Catalyst Grant Program: The launch of a new UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center funding initiative supporting community-identified health priorities.
Registration
Registration is required, and space is limited. Community members, researchers, health professionals, and others interested in strengthening community-research partnerships are encouraged to attend.
Hotel Accommodations
A limited block of rooms is available at the Hilton Birmingham at UAB, 808 20th Street South, within walking distance of the forum venue. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and reservations close November 4, 2026. Book your room.
Parking information will be shared closer to the event.
Questions? Contact Tiffany Osborne, Director of Partnerships & Engagement at the UAB Comprehensive Healthy Living Research Center, at tiffanyosborne@uabmc.edu .