The overarching purpose of Core C, the Native Investigator (NI) Development Core, is to improve the research capabilities and skills of AI/ANs from the social, behavioral, and health sciences, thereby increasing the number of such individuals who are able to design, secure external support for, and conduct research in important areas of inquiry at the interface of aging, health, and cultural dynamics. The latter relate to our organizing theme - quality of care as it relates to health disparities - and includes: a) identifying, describing, and implementing culturally acceptable, relevant activities and interventions that will improve the health and well-being of Native elders with chronic physical or mental conditions; b) developing and testing culturally acceptable, relevant approaches for improving the application of well-accepted disease prevention measures; and c) identifying, or developing culturally acceptable, relevant measures that will better describe the needs of older AI/ANs, and promote better clinical practice.
The specific aims of the NI Development Core described in the following pages are to: 1) increase the number of AI/AN professionals capable of conducting research in areas of high priority among Native elders, in particular those that improve the quality of care, and reduce the minority/non-minority differential in health status, and access to needed care, as well as the consequences thereof; 2) establish and maintain learning and mentoring relationships between established researchers and junior AI/AN faculty; 3) improve the analytic and methodological skills of such investigators by participation in secondary data analysis and primary data collection efforts (i.e., Pilot Studies) intended to ultimately results in improved health care and reduced health status and access differentials between Native elders and their non-Native counterparts; and 4) publish manuscripts based on the secondary data analysis and Pilot Studies, and use these as the basis for preparing independent investigator-initiated awards led by AI/AN researchers.
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