Microbicide researchers strive to engage community members early in the research process to help ensure that a clinical trial will meet local needs and ethical standards at all levels. Involving the community in the development, design, and implementation of a clinical trial also gives community members ownership of the research process and facilitates their potential use of the product or intervention under study. Establishing a community advisory board, typically composed of community members who can represent the views and experiences of the study population, is one of the most common mechanisms for engaging communities in clinical research.