2026 CEAL Annual Meeting Advances Collaboration and Innovation Across the Alliance

Last spring, 260 CEAL researchers, community partners, NIH leaders, and CETAC staff gathered in Charlotte, North Carolina, for the 2026 CEAL Annual Meeting (CAM), a three-day convening designed to strengthen the scientific impact of community-engaged research and deepen collaboration across the CEAL platform. The meeting brought together participants from 39 research teams spanning seven CEAL programs, creating opportunities to share lessons learned, identify common challenges, and build partnerships that will continue long after the meeting concluded.

The 2026 meeting marked an important milestone for CEAL as participants explored how to strengthen and communicate scientific rigor in community-engaged research. Discussions examined ways to document research quality, identify meaningful measures of impact, and articulate how community partnerships contribute to the design, implementation, and effectiveness of research. In viewing rigor and community engagement in concert, attendees emphasized the interconnected roles in generating evidence that is both scientifically sound and responsive to community needs.

On day One, CEAL programs met in closed sessions to review progress, address common challenges, and explore collaboration opportunities. Days Two and Three held forums with research teams across the CEAL platform through sessions on scientific rigor, implementation science, community engagement, evidence synthesis, and data infrastructure.

A recurring theme throughout the meeting was that scientific excellence and community engagement are not competing priorities but mutually reinforcing strengths. Speakers and participants highlighted how trusted partnerships, cultural responsiveness, community leadership, and local expertise strengthen research design, implementation, and interpretation. Across sessions, attendees reinforced the idea that impactful science is built not only on strong methods, but also on meaningful relationships with the communities at the center of the work.

CAM 2026 also generated momentum for future collaboration. Attendees explored CEAL-wide resources, shared tools, and emerging opportunities for joint analysis and evidence generation. Strategic collaboration sessions encouraged teams to identify common interests and develop plans for continued engagement beyond the annual meeting.

Participant feedback spoke to the value of the gathering. Major outcomes for attendees included increased understanding of the broader CEAL platform, meaningful opportunities to connect with colleagues across programs, and a renewed sense of shared support for

the mission of CEAL. Many also pointed to the meeting's role in fostering new partnerships and strengthening existing relationships across the Alliance.

As CEAL continues to evolve, the 2026 Annual Meeting highlighted the power of bringing researchers, community partners, and federal leaders together to learn from one another and advance a more coordinated approach to community-engaged science. The connections, ideas, and collaborations sparked in Charlotte will help guide CEAL's continued efforts to improve health outcomes and support thriving communities across the country.