RESEARCH EDUCATION COMPONENT PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Racial/ethnic minority populations in the United States (U.S). are expected to continue to experience a dramatically disproportionate share of the burden of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). These circumstances establish the need for a larger, better-equipped, more diverse research workforce committed to research that will contribute to reversing these trends and ultimately eradicating this disease in future decades. Inequities in research education, disparities in levels of research grant support, inadequate program support and mentoring, and limited integration into scientific communities have been reported as barriers to diversity in the public health and aging workforce. The Research Education Component (REC) of the Carolina Center on Alzheimer’s Disease and Minority Research (CCADMR) aims to provide a mentoring mechanism leading to careers for AD-RCMAR Scientists in using population-based data to advance research on sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence ADRD disparities. The Specific Aims of the REC are to: (1) fund pilot projects for underrepresented and minority (URM) AD-RMCAR Scientists who will conduct population-based research, analyzing secondary databases to advance research on sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence ADRD-related health disparities, particularly among African Americans; (2) provide mentoring (in groups and individualized one-on-one) and resources to build the research capacity of AD-RCMAR Scientists during pilot funding; (3) provide continued mentoring and professional development post pilot study funding for AD-RCMAR Scientists to achieve independent investigator status; (4) offer education in Health Disparities and Minority Aging Research (HDMAR) to AD- RCMAR Scientists and interested faculty at all partner institutions; and, (5) conduct evaluation of activities supported by the REC. The REC is well-prepared to achieve the proposed aims given investigators’ expertise in mentoring, extensive experience in developing, leading, and participating in well-established, federally- funded, research education programs to enhance diversity in the research workforce, and already established relationships with all participating institutions. Success in achievement of the proposed aims will contribute to enhancing the diversity in the research workforce of scholars who are committed to becoming independent investigators, and advancing the science on sociocultural, behavioral, and environmental determinants of ADRD-related health disparities through population-based research.