Program to Increase Diversity in Cardiovascular Health-Related Research(PRIDE-CVD)

This proposal aims to continue support for the Program to Increase Diversity in Cardiovascular Health-Related Research (PRIDE-CVD) formerly known as SIPID (Summer Institute Program to Increase Diversity) at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) in Brooklyn, New York. The goal of the SIPID/PRIDE-CVD is to nurture and instruct underrepresented scientists/clinicians in multidisciplinary approaches to research in cardiovascular health disparities using Brooklyn as a living laboratory. The SIPID/PRIDE-CVD has been in existence for 17 years and has trained 129 mentees from 103 Universities nationwide. As a result of this training, 68.4% and 78% of the SIPID/PRIDE-CVD mentees, secured peer-reviewed grants, 74% and 46% were promoted and their publications increased by 13-fold and 4.6-fold since graduation, respectively. To continue to build on this success and years of experience, this renewal has the following Specific Aims: 1: Select and train qualified underrepresented scientists/clinicians with potential to contribute to the knowledge in cardiovascular health disparities research 2: Provide long-term tailored one-to-one and peer mentoring with the goal to submit a research grant application 3: Provide intensive individualized training and guidance in grant writing and peer review to enhance the capacity for success in research careers 4: Provide financial support for small research projects to facilitate transition to independence 5: Evaluate long-term effectiveness of PRIDE-CVD The renewal of PRIDE-CVD at Downstate is characterized by: 1) Its partnership with minority-led community- based organizations with expertise in health disparities; 2) The living laboratory of Brooklyn, New York, an urban setting in which to conduct health disparities and CVD research; 3) A well renown faculty roster with a high number of minority members; 4) A historical context providing 17 years of experience in training, mentoring and supporting underrepresented junior faculty. It is expected that the PRIDE-CVD will continue to contribute significantly to improving the pool of highly-capable underrepresented professionals in cardiovascular health research and creating a sense of community among mentees, an important aspect as they continue to grow in their career paths. The ultimate goal in increasing diversity among the ranks of underrepresented scientists/clinicians is an important step towards alleviating health disparities in CVD.