UM-SPAHS Edowment Fund Program

University Of Montana, Missoula MT

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Montana School of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences has a long-standing history and commitment to the recruitment and training of minority students (principally American Indians) for degrees in pharmacy and physical therapy. Research infrastructure has dramatically increased in the School in the past ten years to the point where the School is ranked 7th of 85 school/college of pharmacy in NIH funding per Ph.D. faculty. The School has created two research centers and offers three M.S. and three Ph.D. programs. Focus on minority recruitment and on health disparities research will continue to be expanded. The School has increased infrastructure and capacity through the HHS Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP), the Native American Center of Excellence (NACOE) Program, the NIH-Bridges to Baccalaureate Program (BRIDGES), and the NSF-EPSCoR Program. [unreadable] [unreadable] The increased capacity and opportunity to enhance minority recruitment and health disparities research in Montana is rationale for the following objectives (in priority order): Priority One - Creation of new tenure-track faculty lines for American Indians (priority) or other under-represented minorities, using endowment funds that are matched by private, institutional, and/or federal funds; Priority Two - Enhancement of incentives and opportunities for minority students to pursue graduate training opportunities leading to the Ph.D. degree; Priority Three - Enhancement of postdoctoral training opportunities for minority Ph.D.'s, Pharm.D.'s, or D.P.T.'s and/or other postdoctoral fellows committed to health disparities research; Priority Four - Perpetuation of a strong program to recruit and train minority students at the undergraduate (entry) level; Priority Five - Use of endowment income to leverage private support, institutional/state support, and matching federal grant support. This proposal is submitted as a competitive continuation of 1 S21- MD000236-02.