Purpose

The Research Core will ensure effective management, coordination, and support of the Center’s collaboration in minority men’s health and advance the resources of the TCC to promote synergy across the research activities.  The HU-HBCU TCC Research Core will serve as the nucleus to bridging the research activities of the HBCU partners and the TCC with communities and minority men to advance the understanding of health disparities.  The TCC will also provide continuous support to enhance further development and implementation of each subproject.  All sub-projects will be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis by the Administrative and Research Cores to ensure timely progress towards achieving goals, objectives, and policy-related outcomes.  Based on the evaluation results, all underperforming projects will be discontinued and replaced with new projects as approved by the Administrative Core.  The sub-projects will provide an overall infrastructure and facilities that encourage participation by investigators and other stakeholders to seek resources to advance integrative pathways for research and studies in cancer, cardiovascular disease, violence prevention, and diabetes/obesity.  These goals will be achieved through the following specific aims:

Aim 1:  Oversee implementation of four regional collaborative research sub-projects.

Aim 2:  Provide research and administrative support for HU-HBCU TCC investigators.

Aim 3:  Facilitate the funding support to allow sub-projects to focus on minority men’s health research activities.

Aim 4:  Integrate multiple sources of expertise in minority men’s health and health disparities research throughout HHS regions 3 and 4 to facilitate cross-coordination and management to leverage TCC resources. 

The Research Core will focus on developing strategies and interventions geared towards improving the health of minority men.  Currently, minority men disproportionately experience adverse health outcomes and conditions.  Without comprehensive strategies that address the multiplicity of factors that contribute to these health disparities, the gap will only continue to widen.  Hence, programs and strategies are urgently needed to reduce health disparities that currently exist.  With the overall support from NAFEO and through the Center’s Administrative Core, the Research Core will build on the existing HBCU research infrastructure to engage cross-section communication to transcend collaboration in the various research disciplines.  By providing this level of support, collaborative research among the projects will be enhanced.  Enhancing effective partnerships and seeking synergies that leverage the collective strengths of our transdisciplinary collaborators will ensure the Research Core parallels that of the HU-HBCU TCC. 

Key People

Research  Core: