The long term goal of RIMI at North Carolina A&T State University is to enhance the biomedical and behavioral research and research training capacity in areas that address health disparities. This RIMI renewal builds upon the strengths and accomplishments of the first round of RIMI that created basic infrastructure in genetics research. Therefore, North Carolina A&T State University submits this competing renewal application based upon the first five years of reflective evaluation and tangible progress in enhancing research infrastructure in health disparities. The strength of this renewal application is the emphasis on developing collaborative junior faculty members, as well as students, to become independent researchers and thought leaders in eliminating health disparities. Objectives of this renewal application are to: 1) Create a focused environment in which minority students remain in the biomedical science pipeline and become thought leaders for eliminating health disparities 2) Create a mentored and collaborative environment for health disparities research 3) Develop a centralized community model for educating minorities about health disparities and for recruiting minorities into health disparities research and 4) enhance the administrative, technical and research resources that facilitate health disparities research. This project will develop a research niche in cancer biology, develop a core facility for genomics and informatics research tools, develop a core resource for subject ascertainment and education outreach, enrich student training and development through a bridge to the Masters, and provide meaningful assessment and feed back to developing researchers. The project will utilize all five of the core emphasis areas: 1) Administrative Infrastructure, 2) Faculty Research and Development, 3) Research Facilities and Technology 4) Academic Enrichment and 5) Shared Resources. Implementing the goals and aims of this project positions North Carolina A&T well for making significant contributions in eliminating health disparities. In addition, the university will be well positioned to create a Center of Excellence in Health Disparities Research and Training.
