This section describes the Research Core component of the application to establish an Exploratory NCMHDResearch Center at Arizona State University (ASU). The Research Core's mission is to address knowledgegaps on the role of cultural processes and other fundamental causes of disease in the creation, reductionand elimination of health disparities in HIV/AIDS, mental health, and substance abuse. This core willconduct sustained, coordinated, programmatic, and thematically linked research by relying on itsinterdisciplinary expertise and addressing the needs of the local community. The Core will advanceknowledge on health disparities by enhancing the Center's conceptual and methodological expertise toconduct the highest quality scientific research to promote minority health and reduce health disparitiesthrough culturally appropriate prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, mental health, and substance abuse.The Core will establish and sustain research activities to meet five strategic goals: (1) Coordinate, developand strengthen the expertise of Center participants regarding the cultural processes underlying healthdisparities in HIV/AIDS, mental health, and substance abuse prevention and treatment among populations ofthe Southwest; (2) Establish and maintain a research infrastructure that builds conceptual, methodologicaland statistical capacity for health disparities research in the identified emphasis areas; (3) Maintain ongoingmechanisms for disseminating the Center's research findings to the public, agencies and the scientificcommunity; (4) Provide and coordinate research expertise and resources for the Center's Research,Education and Training Core; (5) Collaborate with community partners to generate new health disparitiesresearch questions and initiatives, ensuring that the research agenda and methods reflect community needsand priorities as well as the best science. The Core will include faculty serving as Research Director and asMethodologists, as well as a Research Coordinator and Graduate Research Assistants. The Research Corewill be linked to an International Scientific Advisory Board for expertise and guidance on its research agenda,,vand will follow a participatory action research approach and will actively involve local communities andstakeholders in research generation, design, execution, analysis and dissemination.
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