HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention

The proposed RCMI HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention is designed to establish
a national exemplar for how community-engaged research can accelerate scientific breakthroughs that can be
rapidly disseminated and implemented directly into the targeted community by trained laypersons or
paraprofessionals. This will be achieved by the successful completion of five specific aims: Aim 1. Execute a
centralized Research Infrastructure Core that will enhance scientific rigor, productivity, and impact of
health disparity science through five primary services: (1) Research Methodology; (2) Laboratory Techniques
and Facilities; (3) Data Management and Biostatistics; (4) Health Informatics; and (5) Responsible Conduct of
Research in health disparity science; Aim 2. Execute a group mentoring program in the Administrative Core
that provides data-driven career enhancement activities for postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors
pursuing careers in health disparity science; Aim 3. Strategically increase the application and success of
early-stage and new investigators in the health sciences to secure competitive NIH research grants through
the Pilot Grant Program and Innovation Research Talks administered by the Investigator Development Core;
Aim 4. Leverage the Community Engagement Core to facilitate collaborative and sustainable partnerships
with community members, organizations, and stakeholders to enable a bidirectional “exchange of information”
that advances the potential impact of research findings for improving health outcomes; and Aim 5. Promote
health disparity science by disseminating RCMI outcomes through publicly available peer-reviewed
publications, presentations, white papers, policy briefs, and other materials, activities, or services disseminated
into the community. This transformative infrastructure – in partnership with UH administrators, community
members, stakeholders, organizations, and elected officials – provides a sustainable data-driven approach for
saving lives and preventing addictions and cancer in metropolitan Houston and beyond.

Grant Number: 5U54MD015946-05
NIH Institute/Center: NIH
Principal Investigator: Bettina Beech