Meharry Medical College, North Carolina Central University and Tuskegee University were this week announced as members of a consortium of seven colleges and universities awarded a five-year, $122 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish campus-based research centers for minority health issues.
NIH to fund seven Research Centers in Minority Institutions
The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), part of the National Institutes of Health, will fund seven new awards to support the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Specialized Centers program. RCMI is designed to support institutional research capacity and foster the career development of new and early career investigators conducting minority health and health disparities research.
The grants will provide support and training for future scientists in public health treatment and research, while expanding research capacity at the participating institutions. The three HBCUs will have focus on awareness building and training for HIV/AIDS, forms of cancer and substance abuse in underrepresented communities.
Johnson O. Akinleye, Ph.D., chancellor of NCCU, said, “The significant research funding provided by the National Institutes of Health elevates North Carolina Central University’s noteworthy work investigating solutions to some of the nation’s toughest health disparities that persist as challenges to communities of color. Through this grant, I am thrilled that Dr. Kumar and his team are already fulfilling three of the six strategic priorities represented in ‘The Eagle Promise’initiative, which focus on expanding research, facilitating innovative strategic partnerships with the Research Triangle Park and building new infrastructure for the university.”
