The long-term goal of the Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) is to support, strengthen and expand biomedical and behavioral research projects at Florida A&M University (FAMU). Over the past three decades, tremendous success was achieved by FAMU PIs through the active support of the research infrastructure component of the RCMI Program. FAMU researchers relied on the services provided such as using key instrumental analysis and research personnel to gather data that were used to write NIH proposals, develop and sustain funded projects, publish in refereed and indexed scientific journals, as well as train graduate students successfully. There is a critical need now to invigorate these support strategies to continue strengthening biomedical and behavioral research activities on campus. The focus of the FAMU RCMI U54 Research Infrastructure Core will be on promoting innovative technologies that support the proposed RCMI research projects, pilot projects, and other FAMU biomedical and behavioral research initiatives that address health disparities experienced by racial and ethnic minorities, the rural and urban poor and other medically underserved populations. The RIC will 1) provide state-of-the-art analytical facilities including Proteomics, Flow Cytometry and Imaging, High Throughput Screening (HTS), NMR, Molecular Modeling Techniques, Cytokine, Microarray and Epigenetics Analysis and Data Management; 2) enhance and develop research skills and capabilities in drug discovery and biotechnology by providing new technologies, training of faculty and other researchers in the use of the facilities of the core; and 3) promote and develop knowledge by providing workshops, seminars and short courses in drug discovery and biotechnology research applications to enhance research proficiency. Supporting the infrastructure core is significant because it promotes meaningful collaborations, allows sharing of resources and provides developmental and training opportunities for minority scientists. In addition, the proposed Research Infrastructure Core is relevant to the NIH/NIMHD mission pertaining to the development of the research infrastructure and training of investigators to become more successful in obtaining competitive extramural support in biomedical and behavioral research.
