Background: The National Center for Engagement in Diabetes Research (CEDER) seeks to strengthen community engagement to advance type 2 diabetes (T2D) research across diverse populations through research consultations and community engagement studios. Jointly led by community and academic partners, CEDER is supported by a partnership hub and steering committee representing diverse expertise from urban and rural communities across the U.S. P​artners guide development and implementation of CEDER’s service delivery model for research teams and community organizations. We describe CEDER’s evaluation framework to assess service delivery and progress toward the Center’s aims.

Methods: Guided by CEDER’s logic model outlining inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and anticipated impact, an Evaluation Workgroup (EWG) identified and prioritized metrics for a practical evaluation framework. Development drew from community engagement models, program documents, and partnership hub discussions, with indicators iteratively generated and refined, using typologies such as 100 Metrics to Assess and Communicate the Value of Biomedical Research.

Results: The framework incorporates quantitative and qualitative data across 5 ​domains: Reach, Service, Partnerships, Practice, and Products. Reach and Service align with logic model outputs (e.g., consultations and studios), while the remaining domains reflect service quality outcomes. For each domain, evaluation questions were developed, and data collected through service request forms, post-service and 6/12-month post-service surveys, and qualitative interviews.

Conclusion: Providing a structured approach, th​e​​ ​framework supports evaluation of CEDER services, documents contributions to community-engaged diabetes research, identifies opportunities for improvement, and advances T2D research outcomes.