Health Disparities Research Training Program 2012

Faculty Members and Post-Doctoral Fellows

You are invited to apply to the Health Disparities Research Training Program, focusing on health disparities research in cancer, aging, comparative effectiveness research and related areas. We are now accepting applications from junior level faculty, mid-level faculty, new to research or who are interested in making a transition to disparities research (transitional faculty), and post-doctoral fellows, to participate in this two-year research training program occurring February 2012 through February 2014.

Application Deadline: The applications are due by Wednesday, January 4, 2012. (Application Closed for 2012)

The Objectives of the Health Disparities Research Training Program (HDRTP) are to:
1. Develop independent researchers in health disparities research through individualized mentored training
2. Provide instruction in scientific research methodology and design
3. Provide training in health disparities and innovative approaches to reduce them
4. Teach scientific writing and grant preparation skills to produce a grant submission to an external agency.

A final product of an R03 (or equivalent) grant proposal must be written and submitted by each scholar during the training period. The scholars will also focus on secondary data analysis and development of manuscripts for publication.

Through attendance and participation in designated faculty development discussions and workshops, research scholars will be able to enhance their knowledge and scientific technical skills, as well as gain expertise in health disparities research. 
Participants in these activities will become stronger candidates for grant funding as independent investigators.

• Interested faculty members and post-doctoral fellows should apply. All candidates will submit 
  • An application, CV, Statement of Intent, and Letter of Support (LOS) through the UAB MHRC Web site.
• Request LOS now - from a supervising senior faculty person, Director, Dean, or Chair, in order to upload with other documents. 

Please have all materials ready to upload and submit at one time.

• Application deadline is Wed, January 4, 2012, by 11:59pm Central Time (Application Closed)

If you would like more information, please contact Ann Smith at (205) 934-9903, or via email at annsmith@uab.edu .

Training Program Information and Schedule

The Health Disparities Research Training Program (HDRTP)  is a two-year training period. As a scholar with the program, your schedule will include courses and course work, as well as time to work with your mentor or mentoring team on a research project, writing manuscripts for publication, and developing a grant proposal. Your attendance is required for all activities listed below. The program will provide you:

1) Video Conferences weekly at MSM, TU, UA, and UAB. 30 x 1.5 hour sessions (To be scheduled two to four times monthly). Tuesdays at 1:30-3:00pm Central Time (2:30-4:00 ET)   

2) Two one-day Workshops on Bioethics and cross cultural issues at Tuskegee University

3) Online Video Course in basic Biostatistics by O. Dale Williams, PhD

4) Online Video Course in Epidemiology by Olivia T. Affuso, PhD

5) Independent research and grant proposal development guided by a mentor  

6) One-week Intensive Session – Grant Writing Retreat with methodological training and in-depth critique of research grant proposals. (Proposed: August 13-17, 2012)

• The HDRTP is expanding from a 1-year to 2-year individualized mentored research training program. 
• During Year 1, the didactic training described above will be provided, with focus on secondary data analysis and development of manuscripts for publication. 
• During Year 2, the focus shifts to emphasize continued mentoring and submitting one or more grants.
• Individual Scholars will be encouraged to apply for HDRTP-sponsored small ($10,000) or larger intramural pilot grant funding based on their experience and needs.

Examples of topics for the video conference faculty development discussions include Health Disparities Research (HDR), Research Design and Methods, Program Evaluation, Community-Based Research, Translational Research, Study Participant Recruitment and Retention, Models of Behavioral Change, Health Economics, and Manuscript and Grant Preparation. For the face-to-face workshops, travel to the other campuses will be reimbursed. 

As part of the individualized mentoring, each HDRTP Scholar will develop a Scholar/Mentor Research Work Plan Agreement. The Scholar and mentor will work together to set the Scholar’s personal HDRTP goals based on where the Scholar is in his/her career, and grant and publication history. 

• Minimal goals for Year 1 include: Secondary data analysis and at least one manuscript written and published, and at least 80% attendance at HDRTP activities. 
• During Year 2 Scholars will be expected to submit a small pilot grant application, which will be reviewed and must receive a competitive score, conduct the study, complete one or two publications, and submit a larger pilot grant, K-award or R-series grant. 
• For those not ready to submit the external grant by the end of Year 2, upon review with the HDRTP leaders, a third year may be considered if the Scholar has made consistent progress. Continued mentoring will be provided as needed. 

HDRTP is sponsored by grants from the NIH National Cancer Institute (NCI), NIH National Institute on Aging (NIA) and NIH National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), through Morehouse School of Medicine, Tuskegee University, the University of Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Health Disparities Research Training Program (HDRTP) announced its selection of scholars for 2012
Below are the 6 Partnership-sponsored scholars:
1. Mohamed Abdalla, PhD TU
2. Gerald Griffin, PhD TU
3. Shanchun Guo, MD, PhD, MS MSM
4. Shantel Hebert-Magee, MD UAB
5. Carol Motley, PhD, MBA UAB
6. Kay Umeakunne, MS, RD, LDN MSM

Below are all 19, and the 6 Partnership-sponsored scholars are highlighted.