Research Capacity Core

SUMMARY The Center for Research Resources (CRR) activity of the Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU) Specialized Center in Health Disparities is an essential and integral part of the research enterprise at our institution. CRR fully supports the NIH Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Center’s vision of further developing a state-of-the-art biomedical infrastructure that enables PHSU investigators to become more competitive in obtaining independent research grants from NIH and other funding agencies. CRR is led by experienced scientists passionate about providing guidance and support to investigators and trainees. Technical staff will be responsible for daily operations. By offering state-of-the-art resources to all researchers (e.g., faculty, trainees, and staff), we will further the mission of NIHMD to develop and deliver healthcare discoveries to underserved populations. CRR will continue to offer service, expertise, and training in advanced technology applications, including Next-generation Sequencing, genomics, advanced data analysis, and other data-intensive research areas, as well as the responsible conduct of research. CRR’s overarching goal is to provide a robust infrastructure and research resources for investigators at PHSU, island-wide, and those from other RCMI Centers to implement innovative research aimed at improving minority health and reducing health disparities. The PHSU Specialized Center in Health Disparities is uniquely situated to put forward a centralized CRR capable of accomplishing the following 3 specific aims. (1) Provide PHSU Specialized Center in Health Disparities investigators with cutting-edge equipment, facilities, and technologies to enhance the quality and productivity of clinical, basic biomedical, public health, behavioral, and clinical research projects. (2) Provide training and support services to PHSU Specialized Center in Health Disparities investigators. (3) Foster the development of additional competitive research projects and interdisciplinary collaborations to address minority health care disparities by working with the Investigator Development and Community Engagement Cores. The services provided by CRR will allow the acquisition of preliminary data for grant applications and subsequent publications that will contribute to resolving health disparities. By combining expertise with the Community Engagement Core and Investigator Development Core, as well as the leadership and advisors of RCMI, CRR will provide the triad of customized services, education/training, and research development. Key areas include Biostatistics/Bioinformatics, Basic, Clinical, and Behavioral Research on the causes and solutions for health disparities. CRR will support the career development of researchers, particularly new and early-stage investigators. CRR will impact the research community by supporting translational and community-level research activities to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes. Lastly, CRR will develop new tools and technologies or repurpose existing tools and strategies to accelerate advances in the science of minority health and health disparities.