The Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health's (CRCAIH) overarching vision is to build a communication and infrastructure platform to bring together Tribal communities and health researchers from a variety of disciplines, to work together in the development of cutting-edge, transdisciplinary research to address the significant health disparities experienced by American Indians in South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. We have put together a top-notch team and management plan to grow transdisciplinary research to examine the social determinants of health impacting American Indians. There is a critical need because American Indians/Alaska Natives experience greater health disparities compared with other populations, including higher rates of diabetes, infant mortality, suicide, and obesity (1). Although there are several ongoing research and service efforts happening at the level of the tribal, academic, and healthcare systems, often work is done in isolation from other partners. Therefore, the CRCAIH is significant because it will bring together stakeholders from across organizations to address the social determinants of American Indian health disparities through research and educational efforts.