The overall goal of this proposal is to establish a Center of Clinical Research Excellence (CCRE) at the University of Hawaii (UH) as a complement to the existing RCMI Clinical Research Center (CRC). The objective of the CCRE is to increase the cadre of career clinical researchers in the State of Hawaii by supporting the career development of promising junior investigators, particularly those whose research focuses on health problems disparately affecting Hawaii's minority populations. The career development of these junior investigators will be fostered through collaborations with senior investigators offering expertise in both basic and clinical science, as well as through mentoring from distinguished (magnet), investigators recruited to the institution, who will also contribute to the research effort with the establishment of their own research programs. The establishment of a CCRE at the University of Hawaii will contribute to the goals of the Healthy People 2010 national agenda by supporting clinical research that addresses the health disparities of the minority populations in the State of Hawaii. To accomplish this objective, the specific aims of this proposal are: 1) To recruit distinguished (magnet) investigators to the University; 2) To support the development of junior UH faculty interested in clinical research careers; 3) To establish a state-of-the-art research laboratory faculty to support CCRE investigators, research fellows and staff; and 4) To contribute to and take the major lead in the overall development of a long-term program to foster clinical research at University of Hawaii. The situation at the University of Hawaii is unique. Far removed from the mainland USA as a result of its geographic isolation in the Pacific Ocean, the collaborations and affiliations that could naturally develop in a community setting with neighboring Universities are not possible in Hawaii. This CCRE offers the University of Hawaii a realistic opportunity to develop a strong clinical research program that will continue to expand beyond the duration of NIH support, through the recruitment of senior scientists, the successful career development of junior investigators, and the development of strong collaborations and affiliations with the University of Washington and other West Coast institutions. The CCRE will provide the necessary leadership and vision to harness the research investments made by the NIH for the development of the next generation of clinical researchers at the University of Hawaii.
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