The principal long-term goals of the UNE RIMI Program are: 1) to enhance UNE's research capacity in health disparity areas, and 2) to increase student pursuit of advanced studies in these areas. Accomplishment of these goals requires that UNE undergo a paradigm change from that of a teaching to a teaching-research Institution. Toward this UNE has chosen a strategy that is based on sustainable and holistic research support systems that emphasize a multidisciplinary approach with cross-functional participation of UNEs Professional Schools. Together these systems will establish a long-lasting scientific/research environment that will be instrumental to the required change in paradigm. To attain these goals the following areas of emphasis will be developed, 1) Institutional Research Administration and Infrastructure Capacity Building Core, 2) Faculty Research Development Core, 3) Academic Enrichment Program Core Area of Emphasis 4) Research Facilities and Technology Enhancement Core. The following proposal objectives reflect the overall strategy. First, establishment of a Multidisciplinary Research Enhancement Institute that serves as a nucleus for interschool and community centered transdisciplinary research on health disparities. The long term goal of this research is to alleviate the impact of these conditions in UNE communities, especially in elementary and secondary schools. Secondly, UNE realizes that to have sustainable health disparity research it has to strengthen the student undergraduate research training program. Therefore, this proposal has a strong student development program. The three subprojects are geared toward cellular and molecular neurobiology in issues related to health disparities.
UNE is poised to establish a multidisciplinary research community that would eventually specialize in the study of health disparities at the basic science, preventive health, socio-behavioral and educational level as well as increase inter-School research collaborations that target community and regional health disparities. UNE has identified two focal points of investigation, violence and asthma, and has established ransdisciolinarv research teams to alleviate the impact of these conditions in UNE communities
