The University of New Mexico (UNM) proposes an innovative Center of Excellence titled the New Mexico Center for Advancement of Research, Engagement &Science on Health Disparities, or NM CARES HD. Based on an understanding of the common causes of health disparities across indigenous communities, NM CARES HD will apply a conceptual model that stresses three principles in interventions to eliminate those disparities: 1) community partnering, through community-based participatory research;2) multifactoral, multilevel interventions within a cultural and social context;and, 3) translating evidence-based and community-based practice. NM CARES HD will build on the foundations of a strong set of established, collaborating institutional programs, nationally recognized expertise in several key areas, long-standing productive partnerships with Native American and Hispanic communities, and a diverse interdisciplinary collaboration to achieve its overall goal. That goal is to create a vigorous, self-sustaining, research center that advances the scientific base of knowledge about interventions and solutions to health disparities in Southwestern Native American and Hispanic communities. A strong team of investigators with senior, NIH- funded leadership has come together to meet the NM CARES HD specific aims. An Administrative Core, a Research Core, a Research Training and Education Core, and a Community Engagement Core together with two research projects will be the initial composition of the NMCOE it works toward meeting a set of specific aims and subaims.
Those aims are to: 1. Establish a multidisciplinary research center that advances the science of interventions to eliminate health disparities among Southwestern Native American and Hispanic communities;2. Enhance the ability of UNM researchers to compete for NIH individual, disparity- related research grants;3. Build a partnership, dedicated to research on health disparities, between UNM investigators and community residents in Native American and Hispanic communities. In meeting these aims, NM CARES HD will develop innovative structures and resources to support the expansion of research on interventions to eliminate disparities in these communities. The combined resources and institutional commitments of new faculty, and pilot project and national conference support make success highly likely.
