The RIMI Program is designed to establish a research capacity-building infrastructure program, with benchmarks for training students, and developing a cadre of clinical, biomedical and behavioral research scientists who possess the skills, knowledge and abilities to engage in leading, cutting-edge and innovative research and training that will ultimately contribute to reducing and eliminating health disparities in the United States. 

The RIMI Program encourages the facilitation and integration of teaching and research at predominantly minority-serving academic institutions, with the aim of developing sustainable research programs, and enhancing the overall quality of the educational experience for students in the life sciences and related areas.  

"The IHSCR is pleased to receive this award.  It will provide a wealth of research infrastructure enhancement activities for Shaw University," said Dr. Daniel L. Howard, Director of the IHSCR and who will serve as Program Director for the Shaw NCMHD RIMI Project.   He added, "This award will contribute to a greater research-intensive atmosphere at Shaw, provide more research opportunities for faculty and students, improve research productivity, and provide expanded research training opportunities for promising students at Shaw.  This award signifies that the IHSCR has established an outstanding track record of training and preparing investigators and students for research practice.  The award will allow the IHSCR to expand these activities to more faculty and students on the campus."

An emphasis of the award is to supplement the existing research infrastructure within the IHSCR's Center for Survey Research and Center for Biostatistics and Data Management.  The award will also develop the new Center for Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and supplement the Health Services Resource Library within the new state-of-the-art research facility on Shaw's campus 

Each of these components will provide an integral resource for conducting health disparities research, and training individuals to conduct such research.  For instance, the GIS Center will provide a unique tool to visualize and analyze data collected from survey research.

Faculty and students will be involved in a variety of training and workshop sessions to increase skills in research practice, including study design, research literature review, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation for publication.  Skilled researchers from Shaw and other research institutions will engage faculty and students in methodological and analytical exercises to improve research skills. With a mastery of these skills, faculty will be better prepared to submit competitive research proposals for funding. 

 Students will be orientated to research through training programs and curriculum enhancements that will equip them with the skills necessary to compete for and complete graduate programs, and to establish careers in health disparities research. 

"In short, these resources will help Shaw move closer to becoming an independent research institution and will firmly establish the IHSCR as a national leader in health disparities research," said Howard.

 With this award Shaw University will expand its capacity to join other academic institutions, researchers, health care practitioners, public health program managers, funders and policy makers who are working collaboratively to explain the causes for and solutions to health disparities in the United States.

"I think this major National Institutes of Health grant award is a critical step toward Shaw University emerging as a significant research institution," said Paul A. Godley, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Program on Ethnicity, Culture and Health Outcomes at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).  He added, "Professor Daniel Howard and The Institute for Health, Social, and Community Research should be applauded for increasing the capacity for state-of-the-art health research at Shaw University. The citizens of North Carolina will undoubtedly benefit from this substantial investment."

"This award is a testament to the incredible work Dr. Howard has done. Before he established the IHCSR, Shaw University had limited research capacity. But, now Shaw has become one of the leading institutions conducting health disparities research. Johns Hopkins University has several ongoing research projects with Dr. Howard and his team and we look forward to continuing these programs and expanding them," said Thomas LaVeist, PhD, who is Director of the Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions and   of the William C. and Nancy F. Richardson Professor in Health Policy at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Tim Carey, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at  UNC, said, "This award will substantially aid Shaw's capacity to independently conduct research.  UNC has been pleased to collaborate with investigators at Shaw on multiple projects, and this award will increase the range of potential research projects."

The Shaw NCMHD RIMI Project will enable Shaw University to take major steps toward fully integrating research into the core operations of the University as outlined in its mission statement.  "As an institution with a strong legacy toward service to the minority community, Shaw University will now be an integral player in the battle to eliminate health disparities that disproportionately affect minority communities," said Dr. Howard.