This amended application is requesting support for the NIMH M-RISP Program at California State University, Fresno (CSUF). In this application, two individual projects and a mental health research infrastructure development center are proposed to initiate the development of this program. The general objective of the proposed program is to provide the foundations for conducting research that facilitates the development and utilization of high quality mental health interventions for ethnic minorities.
The specific aims of the proposed program are to: 1) involve faculty members in innovative action research on mental health issues that leads to acquiring a competitive research grant; 2) increase the participation of undergraduate and masters? level students in ethnic minority mental health research; 3) support research development activities for faculty involved in or initiating mental health-research programs; 4) enhance and strengthen the institutional infrastructure to conduct ethnic minority research. The proposed program for faculty research involves two components. The first component is a Mental Health Research - Infrastructure Development Center that will facilitate the development of the research infrastructure by developing plans for faculty research activities, faculty and student development activities, a technical/statistical core, and linkages to major research centers to facilitate the development of mentoring relationships. The second component involves Individual Faculty Research Projects. Two IRPs are proposed with four participating faculty members. Several graduate and undergraduate students will gain important mental health research experience through participating in the M-RISP program activities. The second component also involves faculty recruitment and development activities. The M-RISP faculty will participate in monthly meetings and summer training programs designed to enhance their knowledge and skills in conducting ethnic minority mental health research.
