Texas Southern University (TSU) is requesting continuous RCMI U54 support for the Center for Biomedical and Minority Health Research (CBMHR) formerly known as the Center for Biomedical and Health Research Excellence under the G12 mechanism. The purpose of the CBMHR is to support basic biomedical research for diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented minority (URM) populations (e.g. cancer, infectious diseases). The proposed CBMHR program is being enhanced to better attract and engage new community partnerships and address contemporary health issues that disproportionately affect African Americans. The goals of the program are to: (1) enhance TSU?s biomedical research capability through continuous infrastructure building and development; (2) equip all investigators to secure competitive extramural support for biomedical research, particularly on diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented minorities (URMs); (3) promote professional development for new and early career investigators; (4) foster an environment conducive to scientific inquiry that promotes new basic science research focused on diseases that affect minority populations; and (5) provide enhanced mechanisms for the development of collaborations and partnerships with community-based organizations. The CBMHR will be organized into 4 cores: Administrative Core (ADC), Research Infrastructure Core (RIC), Investigator Development Core (IDC), Community Engagement Core (CEC), and two independent research projects. Each core will be designed to support the purpose, goals and objectives of the CBMHR. The ADC will provide oversight and administrative support as well as career enhancement program and collaborative environment. The RIC will be organized in a manner that will allow investigators access to advanced research facilities, instrumentation, and service-oriented scientific expertise. The IDC will fully engage pilot projects. And the CEC will promote community engagement activities in bridging the health disparity gaps for URMs in the Greater Houston Community (GHC). The two research projects will address challenges of current cancer studies. At the end of five years of RCMI U54 support, the CBMHR will demonstrate outcomes including substantial increases in publications citing NIH support, grant proposal submissions, NIH R- type grants awarded, successful professional development outcomes as indicated by young investigators receiving NIH funding for their research, and long-term partnerships with multiple health care providers and community groups that together engage the URM population of the GHC in biomedical research education and participation. The CBMHR will have an evaluation component that will monitor the progress of the CBMHR at regular intervals and provide recommendations for improvement. We believe this RCMI award will significantly strengthen and synergize biomedical research efforts at TSU and positively impact current and new collaborators/partners within TSU and other institutions to facilitate high reward research with promise of improving health outcomes for URMs in the GHC, Texas, and beyond.
The Center for Biomedical and Minority Health Research (CBMHR) at Texas Southern University (TSU) aims to support basic biomedical research for diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented minority (URM) populations and lead to burdensome morbidity and mortality among this community. The CBMHR proposes to propel studies of these diseases by providing facilities, equipment, and expertise for research studies, career enhancement programs to develop early stage investigators into thriving biomedical scientists able to secure funding for URM health research, as well as strategic community partnerships that bridge URMs with healthcare services and research throughout the Greater Houston Community.
