Chicago?s South and West Sides represent one of the nation?s most notable urban environmental justice areas, facing significant disparities in disease risk and outcomes. The need for environmental health research in Chicago is highlighted by the dramatic racial/ethnic health disparities observed for multiple diseases and outcomes. In 2017, the ?ChicAgo Center for Health and EnvironmenT (CACHET)? was established ? the first NIH P30 Environmental Health Core Center in the Chicago area. As the CACHET infrastructure to support scientific equipment, facilities, and other resources that can be shared among environmental health researchers has grown, so have prospective training opportunities. Because a key CACHET goal is to reduce environmental health related disparities among residents of Chicago and beyond, our theme is Mitigating Disparities in Environmental Health- the ideal context for encouraging individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue careers in environmental research. In recent years, CACHET has promoted multidisciplinary environmental health research among clinician, laboratory, and population scientists to understand, evaluate, and ultimately reduce environmental health related disparities among residents of the region and beyond. As such, a robust structure is available to support the training of underrepresented undergraduates, with extensive research and mentoring opportunities by CACHET investigators and ongoing research opportunities in conjunction with investigators funded by the pilot projects program. Here, we propose to leverage CACHET infrastructure, energy, and its growing research portfolio to support educational activities that encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies or careers in EHS research through the Chicago UP on the Environmental Health Sciences Program (Chicago UP on EHS). To accomplish this goal, we will: 1) provide 2-year mentored research experiences and career/skill development to individuals from underrepresented backgrounds at the undergraduate level (rising juniors from institutions across Chicago) to inspire and prepare them for further study in the environmental health sciences; 2) provide opportunities for dissemination in Chicago communities as well as in academic publications or presentations; and 3) create a strong and long-lasting network of support for students throughout their career journeys. In addition to assembling a dedicated mentor team for each individual, proving hands-on research training, and engaging support communities, we will also develop a detailed tracking system to facilitate ongoing communication with program alumni and personalized assistance as needed. The experienced leadership team has the scientific, educational, and established research programs necessary to ensure the success of Chicago UP on EHS. Through the Chicago UP on the Environmental Health Sciences Program, CACHET leadership are committed to positively impacting the career development and leveraging the exciting projects happening across Chicago to mitigate disparities for training and EHS workforce development.
The proposed project aims to create and maintain a diverse workforce in the environmental health sciences through the creation of an innovative program - Chicago UP on EHS - for underrepresented undergraduates by leveraging the robust scientific, educational, and mentoring infrastructure offered by CACHET. Through innovative partnerships with CACHET members, didactic instruction/preparation, and the pilot projects program, underrepresented students will have mentored research experiences and exposure to exciting and impactful projects that by-in-large aim to mitigate environmental health disparities in Chicago.
