El Paso County Community College (EPCC) has assumed a unique leadership role in promoting undergraduate student involvement in research activities in biomedical sciences for the past eight years. The Phase I EARDA established an Office of Community Health Research (OCHR) at EPCC. OCHR was extremely successful at generating the resources for increasing the number of Biology and Chemistry faculty and students experiencing biomedical research, increasing external funding and institutional commitment for research activities, increasing the number of grant development workshops and research seminars presented at EPCC, increasing the number of faculty and students participating in scientific conferences and workshops, and increasing collaboration with other institutions. The long-term objectives of this project are: 1) to increase the opportunities, resources and infrastructure for EPCC faculty and students to conduct biomedical research, and b) to improve the resources and mechanisms necessary to encourage EPCC students to transfer to four-year institutions and pursue biomedical research careers. The specific objectives of Phase II are: 1) to maintain the momentum that the Office of Community Health Research has generated in the last three years and continue generating the funding necessary to promote biomedical research; and 2) to increase the resources available for behavioral and health sciences faculty and students so that they become involved in research and research training activities. The objectives will maximize the utilization of resources generated in Phase I including the MBRS-RISE program. Activities funded by Phase II include internships for EPCC faculty and the OCHR Director at NIH, disseminating information and presenting workshops on grant development and resources with a special focus in the behavioral and health sciences.
