Urgent Competitive Revision to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Urgent Supplement - Clinical Trial Optional)

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PROJECT SUMMARY Currently, as the national resource to advance the science of minority health and health disparities, the RCMI Coordinating Center (RCMI-CC) has been hamstrung by budgetary constraints. Thus, funding from this competitive revision will bolster clinical and translational research innovation activities that are vital to the operations of a vibrant research network devoted to gaining new knowledge about the causes of health disparities, developing scalable measurement tools for studying health inequities, and implementing effective and culturally responsive interventions to mitigate ethnic and geographic disparities in health and advance health equity. Specific Aim 1. Develop a Robust Data Management System for the RCMI Clinical Research Network. Approach: Implement a secure infrastructure for storing and providing access to study-related documents and materials; establish a data management system for study data collection emphasizing Common Data Elements (CDEs) and harmonized data from electronic health records; provide methodological consultation to RCMI investigators on study design, regulatory compliance, biostatistics, data science, data management and analysis, and facilitate network coordination of research activities including support for a Network Steering Committee. Specific Aim 2. Implement a Clinical Research Pilot Projects Program. Approach: Solicit, review and fund collaborative proposals submitted by post-doctoral fellows and early-stage investigators from two or more RCMI grantee institutions and their RCMI and non-RCMI mentors on research projects, aimed at improving minority health and reducing health disparities. Specific Aim 3. Facilitate Multi-RCMI Research Studies. Approach: Engage the RCMI Consortium,community-based organizations, professional societies, federal agencies or programs, academic and industry partners, to share training and educational resources focused on reducing health disparities; establish master trial agreements with network study sites and implement plans to reduce start-up for multi-site studies; develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for multi-RCMI research and expand the size and scope of the annual RCMI Consortium National Conference. By achieving these specific aims, the RCMI-CC will have the necessary infrastructure to foster the development and facilitate the implementation of rigorous inter-institutional clinical research studies on the biological and social determinants of health disparities. Moreover, the expectation is that this expanded infrastructure will result in increased research productivity and heightened grant success.