Health Disparities Research Scholars Training Program-Renewal

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Health disparities in the United States are large and historically rooted, begin early in life, and often persist throughout the life course. The Health Disparities Research Scholars Program is an interdisciplinary postdoctoral training program located in the Department of Population Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. It is designed to support the career development of health disparities researchers and has two primary goals: 1) to develop a cadre of researchers who will work to advance knowledge of the causes, consequences, and effective mitigation of disparities in health experienced by minority populations early in and throughout the life course; and 2) to attract, retain, and support the development of a diverse set of health disparities investigators as they embark on research careers dedicated to improving health equity. To achieve these goals, we will actively recruit a diverse cadre of scholars who are committed to careers in health disparities research and provide them with two or three years of training and support. We will recruit from doctorate programs scholars who are ready to build on the methods of their graduate disciplines, cross boundaries, and draw from content, theory, and methods of other fields. We have assembled an exceptional and diverse core faculty with expertise across medical, population health, social/behavioral, and basic sciences. There are five training components to the training program: i. a multidisciplinary mentor team; ii. a weekly Health Disparities Research Scholars seminar and the opportunity to attend others on campus; iii. coursework, workshops, and optional degree programs; iv. mentored research; and v. professional development activities. Through this interdisciplinary training program, we will build key competencies and provide professional mentoring to facilitate the success of our scholars as independent health disparities researchers. Scholar activities will be tracked through quarterly progress reports, biannual mentor team meetings, and an annual formal evaluation of each scholar. These assessments will enable the Program Director and mentor team to provide timely guidance and identify strategies to ensure productivity and achievement of career goals.