A Research Foundation With a Mission

RCMI Mission, Goals, and Values

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The primary mission of the HEALTH Center for Addictions Research and Cancer Prevention's Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) is to strategically enhance the University of Houston's (UH) research infrastructure to advance health-equity science. 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 alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use while strategically preventing the development of cancer in underserved communities. Through equitable partnerships with our broad-based community coalition, we have a sustainable framework that supports the implementation of data-driven public health initiatives that are co-developed and embedded in the communities served.

 

The primary goals of the RCMI at UH are to:

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1. Nurture and accelerate NIH funding portfolios for scientists underrepresented in the health sciences;

2. Provide evidence-based group mentoring and career development opportunities for underrepresented minoritized (URM) postdocs and assistant professors; and

3. 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).

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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.