PROJECT SUMMARY The overall objective of the Tuskegee University Center for Biomedical Research/Research Centers in Minority Institutions (TU CBR/RCMI) Program is to build upon and expand the University’s research infrastructure and develop researchers to conduct research related to health disparities. This initiative is centered around: 1) providing the necessary infrastructure, resources, services, and technical support to enhance the ability of the University’s researchers to stay on the cutting-edge of multidisciplinary basic biomedical/clinical health/ and population research focused on health disparities; 2) supporting the research and career development of post-doctoral fellows, junior- and mid-level investigators; and 3) enhancing the research excellence by facilitating the recruitment of competitive and highly expert research scientist. These objectives are to be achieved primarily through the following aims: 1) Provide pilot-level funding to support the development and expansion of the research capacity of TU; 2) Provide core research facilities equipped with the infrastructure, instrumentation, and personnel to support the needs of the TU research community; 3) Engage the community through RCMI-sponsored activities that include the research faculty; 4) Expand the clinical health research component in the current initiative; and 5) Provide mentorship and career guidance to enhance the transition of junior-level investigators into independent scientists. The overall goal of the CBR/RCMI project (2023-2028) is to continue the development of its 4 core components, Administrative, Investigator Development, Research Infrastructure and Community Outreach infrastructure and increase the numbers and skill proficiency of minority scientists engaged in scientific areas that includes basic biomedical, clinical health and population research focused on health disparities. The three scientific areas, basic biomedical, clinical health and population research have research objectives focused on breast cancer, obesity and cervical cancer, all of which disproportionately affect African Americans and underrepresented minorities. The goal is to continue support for a competitive, multidisciplinary collaborative environment that advances these scientific areas of research. Tuskegee University has distinctive strengths because it is located in the heart of the Southeast, a region with a large, historically underserved, African American population, and it has a large number of minority faculty members as well as undergraduate and graduate trainees. The goal of the CBR/RCMI will be accomplished through establishment of three synergistic research cores, with services to enable investigative research on health inequities among minority groups, especially African-Americans residing in the ‘Black Belt’ counties of Alabama.

PROJECT NARRATIVE (Overall) This RCMI U54 application is from the existing, successful Tuskegee University (TU) Center for Biomedical Research Program that is committed to the elimination of health disparities in racial/ethnic minority and underserved populations in the ‘Deep South’, particularly among African Americans. By leveraging the distinct location of the center in the Alabama Black Belt and the historical mission of Tuskegee University dedicated to the education of minorities, we have build a health disparity focused program, whose mission is to understand the causes for these health disparities by supporting and enhancing diverse basic biological science, clinical health, and community-based research.