Investigator Development Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Health disparities in Hawaii are significant, especially among Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) and Filipinos, and research to reduce the disparities is jeopardized by a lack of skilled, funded investigators, especially from those groups. Achieving long-term health and wellness in communities that suffer disproportionately from racial, ethnic, environmental and/or socioeconomic inequalities and inequities demands a well-trained and diverse workforce. The objective of the Ola HAWAII Investigator Development Core (IDC) is to mentor and support a diversified health disparities research workforce. In the 2022–2027 cycle, the IDC will collaborate with the Ola HAWAII Cores, the Health Policy Advisor, the Ola HAWAII leadership team, and the program’s advisory committees to reinforce a supportive career-development milieu. Sample innovations include: 1) customizing the Pilot Projects Program to monitor IDPs and strengthen the mentoring environment of funded investigators; 2) personalizing the Mentoring Bootcamp with tailored sessions for basic biomedical, clinical, and behavioral researchers; and 3) using a Research Ambassador to increase access to mentors and reviewers outside of Hawaii and to link investigators to other RCMI sites for training programs, multisite projects, shared resources, and new team science opportunities. Specific Aim 1: Customize and expand the Pilot Projects Program to support post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, and other early-stage investigators. a. Implement a Team-Science Pilot Projects Program. b. Enhance career development of pilot awardees through personalized mentoring. Specific Aim 2: Personalize and enrich the Mentoring Bootcamp Program to accelerate lead investigator research success. a. Implement new and focused sessions for basic biomedical, clinical, behavioral, and community researchers. b. Leverage and complement grant-writing and professional development activities of other research infrastructure programs. The IDC is led by an exemplary team that has 70 years of experience in training and mentoring students, post- docs, and junior faculty, predominantly from underrepresented minority groups. Activities of the IDC will spur collaborative research on the science of health disparities, heighten research productivity, and increase competitiveness for extramural funding. IDC activities will complement those of the other Ola HAWAII cores to hasten the pace of scientific discovery and intervention implementation to meet the Healthy People 203017 objectives and the NIMHD goals18 of improving the health of underserved and underrepresented population.