The SDSU HealthLINK Center for Transdisciplinary Health Disparities Research (Center) Investigator Development Core (IDC) will directly contribute to a sustainable infrastructure for minority health and health disparities (MHHD) research at SDSU by providing career development and funding opportunities for junior investigators to develop both independent and collaborative research agendas and become future leaders in MHHD research. Our career enhancement model will allow junior investigators to leverage the expertise of senior mentors to generate new knowledge that will further enhance shared resources in the Research Infrastructure Core's Health Data Analytic Portal and Health Science Knowledge Repository. The IDC activities will also build capacity in partner organizations through the Community Engagement Core. IDC junior investigators and their senior mentors will collaborate with other Center Cores and Research Projects to create a diverse community of basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical researchers working toward the common goal of reducing health disparities and optimizing health care outcomes for all people regardless of race/ethnicity, sexual and gender identity, or socioeconomic status. The critical gap that the IDC will fill is the limited pilot project funding for junior investigators at SDSU. Thus, the primary aim of the IDC is to fund four pilot projects every year in Years 1-5 to support the career advancement of junior investigators at SDSU. Following a systematic process to solicit and review applications, we will fund one pilot project each year in each of the following three areas: basic biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. In addition, we will fund a fourth project developed in collaboration with the Center's Community Engagement Core partner organizations. Both the IDC and the Center's Administrative Core will support the IDC awardees' career advancement through additional senior mentorship and career enhancement opportunities. The Research Infrastructure Core will promote IDC awardees' pilot project completion by providing access to and training on shared resources, followed by integration of pilot project data and products into the Health Data Analytic Portal and Health Science Knowledge Repository. The Community Engagement Core will further support IDC awardees by connecting them with potential community partners for research, and training awardees on innovative methods for disseminating their findings. Finally, the IDC will work with the Research Projects to identify research questions that can enhance or use data from existing Research Projects, thereby promoting bidirectional learning. Finally, the IDC will contribute to the Center's development by providing critical feedback on the Center's evaluation, and fostering a transdisciplinary, team science approach. It is clear that the IDC will meet a significant need in furthering the careers of SDSU junior investigators who wish to conduct innovative MHHD research, which increases both expertise and infrastructure at SDSU.
