Chaminade University BRAD Program



 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Chaminade University is a Federally-designated Minority-serving, Native Hawaiian- and Pacific Islander-serving institution serving Hawaii and the US-affiliated Pacific. Faculty and student participation in research advances our mission of reducing disparities in health, justice and educational opportunity for indigenous and disadvantaged peoples of the Pacific. Over the last decade Chaminade has undergone transformational growth in key areas that support this mission. These include adoption of faculty standards for scholarship, major facilities renovation to support research, establishing multi-million dollar instrumentation cores, recruitment of new faculty from R1 institutions, and development of a vibrant undergraduate research culture in the Natural Sciences. Significant institutional challenges remain, specifically; (1) the dependence on extramural monies to achieve growth and mission in a tuition-dependent institution serving under-represented and disadvantaged students, (2) lack of a faculty grant- seeking culture beyond the rapidly growing Natural Sciences Division, and (3) lack of capacity for pre- and post-award support in the current Office of Sponsored Research. The Chaminade University BRAD proposal addresses these challenges through three Specific Aims: Aim 1. Develop and implement an Institutional Development Plan for sponsored programs; Aim 2. Provide a pre-award faculty development pipeline that promotes grant seeking behaviors and competitive success in Chaminade faculty from biomedical and behavioral disciplines relevant to the NIH mission; Aim 3. Provide an excellent post-award service environment for grantees and granting agencies. At the conclusion of the BRAD grant period, Chaminade University will be in a significantly stronger position to deliver mission-centered research and programmatic activities in the areas of biomedical and behavioral sciences. BRAD funding will create a climate in which we can effectively educate and empower the next generation of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander students as researchers and practitioners who can address disparities in health, social justice and opportunity in their home communities.