ABOUT US
A Research Foundation With a Mission
RCMI Mission, Goals, and Values
The Research Center in Minority Institutions (RCMI)'s primary mission at the University of Houston (UH) is to strategically enhance UH's research infrastructure. We accelerate scientists' capacity to conduct cutting-edge research that informs novel prevention, early detection, diagnosis, and intervention strategies that mitigate a broad range of disparities in addictions and cancer prevention research. Through generating equitable and sustainable partnerships through a broad-based community coalition framework that supports public health initiatives, implementation, and outreach activities, we address a public health crisis through a multilevel platform embedded in the communities served.
The primary goals of the RCMI at UH are to:
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Nurture and accelerate NIH funding portfolios for scientists underrepresented in the health sciences generally, and underrepresented minorities (URM);
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Provide evidence-based group mentoring and career development opportunities for URM postdocs and assistant professors; and
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Eliminate the translational gap by rapidly ushering scientific breakthroughs into culturally-informed dissemination products (e.g., health education materials, workshops) and community-embedded interventions (e.g., health screenings, patient navigation, in-service training of paraprofessionals, prevention strategies, cost-effective treatments).
Translating Innovative Science into Health Services that Save Lives and Reduce Disparities,
UH has committed financial support, personnel, partnerships, physical buildings, and faculty to make a collective impact on the health disparities affecting our neighboring communities. This is exemplified in three high-profile initiatives:
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UH Health;
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UH Third Ward Initiative; and
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Integrative Healthcare Services for underserved communities.
Institutional support and investments to make a measurable and sustainable impact on our local Black and Latinx communities are evident.
ORGANIZATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE
OUR VALUES
Our three values that serve as our moral compass

Innovation
It is important to be actively engaged in ethical, innovative, and rigorous scientific research that will generate new knowledge that exerts a sustainable impact on mitigating – and ultimately eliminating – disparities in addictions and cancer prevention.

Empowerment
The collective impact is dependent on the capacity to partner with communities and stakeholders to derive a shared vision empowering community-embedded change agents equipped to improve their quality and length of life.

Solutions
Dedicated to working with our communities to discover and promote sustainable solutions to real-world health challenges.