This is a proposal to increase the number of underrepresented minorities entering research careers in quantitative aspects of Public Health by expanding and supporting graduate and post-graduate training opportunities for underrepresented minorities at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH). The program will focus on methodological issues in community based research and intervention. Experience suggests that many minority students are interested in this area because of the growing role of community based intervention studies in addressing many current health issues of relevance to the minority community. However, there is a strong need to attract biostatisticians, epidemiologists and others with strong quantitative skills to this area. By establishing a cohesive research and training program centering around this issue, we propose to create an environment that will attract and retain underrepresented minority students and fellows. Furthermore, the program has the potential to make a unique contribution to community based research in general, since there is a real need for expanded training opportunities in the quantitative and biostastical aspects of this area. The program has three distinct components: (1) summer research internships for undergraduate (2) predoctoral training through the Department of Biostatistics or the Department of Health and Social Behavior at HSPH (3) research training for physicians through the School's Clinical Effectiveness Program. Among the key activities of the program will be the active participation of all trainees and program faculty in a research seminar series/working group, involvement of all trainees in community based research projects under the guidance of faculty mentors. Trainees will emerge from the program not only with valuable practical research experience, but also with solid quantitative training in study planning, design, conduct and analysis. Several mechanisms have been established to ensure the success of the program, including partnerships with several institutions with high minority enrollments, as well as formation of an advisory group of experts in minority education. HSPH has provided strong institutional support in the form of tuition supplements, discretionary funds and support for recruiting.
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