RCMI Program Information

North Carolina Central University’s RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) — funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) under the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) program — began in 2017, and funding was renewed in 2022. 

The Center brings together cores in administration, research capacity, investigator development, infrastructure, and community engagement to build NCCU’s ability to conduct biomedical and behavioral research focused on health disparities. 

RCHDR supports full research projects, pilot studies, mentoring of early-career investigators, community-based participatory research, and collaborations across the Research Triangle and the nationwide RCMI Translational Research Network (RTRN).

The NCCU RCMI Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) advances its mission through coordinated programming organized around four major priority areas, each directly reflecting the Center’s aims.

• SA1: Enhance the research capacity of NCCU within the areas of basic biomedical and behavioral research.
• SA2: Prepare and enable all levels of investigators (including postdoctoral fellows, research track, tenure-track and tenured faculty) to become successful extramurally funded health disparities researchers by developing an Investigator Development Core (IDC). The IDC will institute pilot projects and mentoring activities that will enable investigators to generate preliminary data and compete successfully for extramural funding.
• SA3: Provide ancillary support for new (including senior postdoctoral fellows) and early investigators, as well as senior investigators, for scientific career enhancement and develop as a successful health disparities researcher. This will be accomplished by offering a range of ancillary career development activities to faculty.
• SA4: Establish sustainable relationships with neighboring research and community-based organizations and the RTRN network to advance cutting-edge health disparities research at NCCU.

NCCU RCHDR has expanded biomedical, behavioral, and community-engaged research capacity while advancing its mission to reduce health disparities across North Carolina.

Research Productivity and Scientific Impact

• Supported two full research projects, 10–12 pilot projects, and >70 investigators through mentoring, seminars, and professional development opportunities
• Generated 46 reported publications
• Secured new external funding enhancing NCCU’s research infrastructure

Capacity Building and Infrastructure Growth

• Delivered extensive investigator development programming, including grant-writing workshops, alumni seminars, internal review systems, and robust mentoring support for early-stage investigators
• Hosted an integrated RCMI Seminar and Works-in-Progress Series, strengthening interdisciplinary data sharing and proposal development across campus 

Community Engagement and Public Health Impact

• Partnered with >28 counties across NC, deploying the Mobile Health Unit for disaster recovery, chronic disease screening, pediatric assessments, and rural outreach
• Delivered >50 community events annually, providing >370 health screenings
• Established a strong community-based network (CBN) and hosted the “Your Voice, Your Health” series, attracting 177+ participants and expanding community-driven research dialogue

Leadership, Visibility and Innovation

• Recognized faculty excellence through national awards and internal spotlights, including REC Scholar Awards and emerging investigator achievements
• Strengthened regional partnerships with health departments, free clinics, community-based organizations, and environmental health collaborators

• RCMI Coordinating Center
• Duke CTSA | Duke Department of Medicine (https://ctsi.duke.edu/about/clinical-and-translational-science-awards-ctsa )