A&T holds the Carnegie Classification’s earned credential in Community Engagement and is poised to achieve Research 1: Very High Research Spending and Doctorate Production status. The RCMI will complement existing A&T investments in health disparities research which include the Center for Integrative Health Disparities and Equity Research (CIHDER), Center for Outreach in Alzheimer’s, Aging and Community Health (COAACH) and multiple doctoral programs in health and behavioral sciences.

“Securing an RCMI award is a remarkable accomplishment and a testament to the excellence and competitiveness of N.C. A&T’s research enterprise,” said Andrew P. Daire, provost and executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. “We are excited to leverage this investment to advance health disparities research, enhance the human condition and further our longstanding commitment to improving outcomes for communities historically impacted by inequity.”

The RCMI has four cores that combined ensure a balanced approach to addressing health disparities research: Administrative, Investigator Development, Community Engagement, and Research Capacity.

• The Administrative Core has overall oversight of the RCMI and is responsible for implementing research enrichment activities such as seminars, research symposia and evaluation of all RCMI components.
• The Investigator Development Core supports the development of junior faculty and trainees, including graduate students and postdocs, through seed funding for health disparities research projects and career mentoring.
• The Community Engagement Core will engage underserved communities to advance health education and disseminate research findings in ways that promote adoption of knowledge and best practices that improve community health and alleviate heath disparities.
• The Research Capacity Core builds infrastructure for health disparities research at N.C. A&T through the acquisition of equipment for innovative health disparities research, training on use of the equipment, and services that support the design of research projects and data analysis.

The RCMI will also support the development of a new research cluster consisting of faculty members from the departments of kinesiology, psychology, and nanoengineering, who will apply emerging nanotechnology in brain health research. Additionally, the research projects associated with the RCMI will support the training and mentoring of postdoctoral scholars and graduate students in many doctoral programs.

“Our team’s resilience, perseverance and dedication to the communities that we serve is what makes earning this award special for us all,” said Marc Cook, Ph.D., associate kinesiology professor, associate CIHDER director, and RCMI lead principal investigator. “This bolsters N.C. A&T’s capacity to make a significant impact on these particular health disparities, while providing a huge investment into our communities, including faculty, students, staff and those impacted by these disparities, to foster generational change.”

The RCMI at A&T aligns with two of CIHDER’s focus areas – aging and cardiometabolic disease – and will be integral to expanding outreach within the Piedmont Triad region and throughout North Carolina.

It also enhances the university’s broad expertise in brain health. A&T is a partner in the NC Brain Health Registry, while COAACH-affiliated researchers and team members also promote and contribute to the Black American United Memory and Aging Project.

“This significant investment from the NIH recognizes North Carolina A&T researchers’ exceptional track record, commitment and capacity to advance our understanding of brain health, and to translate innovative discoveries into tangible benefits for our communities,” said Lisa Clough, Ph.D., vice chancellor for Research. “For example, studies show that 80% of Americans would want to know if they had Alzheimer’s disease, and with 7.2 million Americans living with the diagnosis, now is the time to ramp up our efforts to address this and other health challenges.”

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