The Center for Research Resources (CRR) activity of the RCMI Program is an essential and integral part of the research enterprise at our institution. CRR offers services, expertise, and training in advanced technology applications including Next-generation Sequencing, genomics, advanced data analysis, and other data-intensive research areas, as well as the responsible conduct of research. CRR provides the research infrastructure to projects in diverse areas and is the primary driver of convergent sciences which is how our institution will continue to move science forward. CRR will be managed by faculty with relevant expertise. Technical staff will be responsible for daily operations. By offering state-of-the-art resources to all researchers (e.g., faculty, trainees, and staff), we will further the mission of NIHMD of developing and delivering health care discoveries to underserved populations.
The aims of CRR are to (1) Maintain cutting-edge equipment, facilities, and technologies to support RCMI clinical, basic and behavioral projects and to expedite the development of additional highly competitive research projects; CRR fosters collaborative projects involving transdisciplinary research teams of clinical and basic scientists as well as provide training and expertise. (2) Address minority health care disparities by working with the Investigator Development Core (START) and Community Engagement Core (CTIHD) to develop new projects for extramural funding. Emphasis will be on multidisciplinary teams with research focused on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. (3) Further develop Center for Research Resources laboratory capability to address emerging needs and to serve investigators in the RCMI community, other programs and countries. The services through CRR will allow the acquisition of preliminary data for grant applications and subsequent publications that will contribute to resolving health disparities. By combining expertise with the Community Engagement Core and Investigator Development Core, as well as the leadership and advisors of RCMI, CRR will provide the triad of customized services, education/training, and research development. Key areas include Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Basic, Clinical, and Behavioral Research on the causes of and solutions for health disparities. CRR will support the career development of researchers, particularly new and early-stage investigators. Lastly, CRR will develop new tools and technologies or repurpose existing tools and strategies to accelerate advances in the science of minority health and health disparities. CRR operations will follow the guidelines specified in the Standard Operation Procedures that will be revised and updated as CRR continues to expand and evolve. The synergy among CRR and its collaborating partners will facilitate basic and translational science research, stimulate studies on health disparities, and contribute to the development of a diverse biomedical workforce at our institution. CRR provides the necessary infrastructure to advance our understanding of minority health disparities and in so doing will substantially enhance our success in addressing them.
The Center for Research Resources activity of the RCMI Program will further build and enhance our research enterprise by the continued development of services provided, and the inter-connectivity of research and operations for Core Laboratories at our institution. CRR will impact the research community by supporting translational and community-level research activities aimed at reducing health disparities and improving health outcomes.
