Investigator Development Core

Modified Project Summary/Abstract Section PROJECT SUMMARY -INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT CORE The Investigator Development Core of the Center for Research, Health and Society addresses the critical shortage of NIH-funded cancer and cardiovascular disease researchers in our region, where many institutions have limited research infrastructure to address the disease burden. Supporting early-stage investigators who come from low resource institutions provides an effective and productive solution for workforce development. Through an evidence-based training and mentoring infrastructure, the Investigator Development Core will develop a cadre of researchers prepared to eliminate cancer and cardiovascular disease by using a collaborative interstate model to build partnerships between research-intensive institutions and smaller teaching-focused institutions across Arkansas and Virginia. The Core's impact will be transformative, establishing sustainable research capacity that will persist beyond the funding period and increasing the pool of investigators equipped to secure independent NIH funding, conduct community-engaged research, and translate findings into evidence-based interventions that directly benefit rural and low resource communities. The Core will recruit investigators from varied academic settings, implement pre-application training and mentoring programs tailored to investigator readiness levels, execute rigorous pilot grant review processes, and provide ongoing post-award mentoring support. By facilitating partnerships between Arkansas and Virginia faculty, the program will expand mentoring opportunities for Arkansas investigators while fostering peer collaboration and providing Virginia faculty access to unique research opportunities in high-burden populations. This collaborative model will accelerate the development of chronic disease interventions, enhance research capacity at low resourced institutions, and establish Arkansas as a national leader in chronic disease reduction research, ultimately improving health outcomes for populations experiencing the greatest burden of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The Investigator Development Core will foster linkages with the Clinical and Translational Science Award programs in Arkansas and Virginia and will leverage resources from the National Research Mentoring Network to help facilitate research, training, mentoring, dissemination, and translation of research. Through these comprehensive efforts, the Investigator Development Core will create a sustainable research ecosystem that serves as a replicable model for states facing similar health challenges, generating lasting improvements in researcher capacity, organizational infrastructure, and community health outcomes.