Managers of transdisciplinary collaborative research lack suitable didactic material to support the implementation
of research methodologies and to build ongoing partnerships with community representatives and
peers, both between and within multiple academic centers. This article will provide insight on the collaborative
efforts of project managers involved in multidisciplinary research and their subsequent development of a tool kit
for research project managers and/or directors. Project managers from the 8 Centers for Population Health and
Health Disparities across the nation participated in monthly teleconferences to share experiences and offer
advice on how to achieve high participation rates and maintain community involvement in collaboration with
researchers and community leaders to achieve the common goal of decreasing health inequities. In the process,
managers recognized and seized the opportunity to produce a tool kit that was designed for future project
managers and directors. Project managers in geographically distinct locations maintained a commitment to work
together over 4 years and subsequently built upon an existing communications network to design a tool kit that
could be disseminated easily to a diverse audience
