Michigan CEAL: Communities Conquering COVID is a transdisciplinary partnership of researchers and community leaders. Together using a community-based participatory research approach, Michigan CEAL aims to identify and implement effective, community-driven strategies that enhance access and inclusion of marginalized communities in COVID-19 research and prevention to reduce health inequities across the state of Michigan. Michigan CEAL focuses on alleviating the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 among low income and communities of color in Wayne, Genesee, Kent, and Washtenaw Counties. This project is supported by and reflects the goals of the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities initiative, funded by the National Institutes of Health, to conduct timely community-engaged COVID-19 research and outreach to reduce health inequities.

1. To conduct urgent community-engaged research and outreach focused on COVID-19 awareness and education to address the widespread misinformation about COVID-19 and promote an evidence-based response to the disease.

2. To promote and facilitate inclusion of diverse racial and ethnic populations in COVID-19 intervention studies (prevention strategies and clinical trials of vaccines/therapeutics).

3. To promote the development of, dissemination, and implementation of research findings to reduce the burden of COVID-19 in the communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

4. To examine effective engagement strategies for creating a collaborative partnership involving a variety of trusted entities to promote and extend sustainable community-based participatory research capacity, which in turn increases awareness, knowledge, and trust in communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.