The Mid-Atlantic Center for Cardiometabolic Health Equity (MACCHE) will establish an Investigator Development (ID) Core with two objectives: (1) to promote career development for Early-Stage Investigators establishing research careers focused on health disparities for chronic diseases; and (2) enhancing diversity of the workforce in this area of biomedical research. MACCHE includes a partnership between The Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and University of Maryland Baltimore (UMB) – both of which have Centers for Health Equity and both of which are centers of excellence for biomedical research. To accomplish its objectives, the Investigator Development Core has established three specific aims: Aim #1. To establish a pilot project program for postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty and other Early-Stage Investigators to support innovative research related to chronic disease disparities. The pilot award program will solicit applications from early-stage investigators at JHU, UMB, Morgan State University, community partners, and the surrounding Mid-Atlantic region who have an interest in addressing chronic, cardiometabolic disease disparities. MACCHE's pilot program will work deliberately to promote pilot applications from persons from underrepresented groups in biomedical research, including those who have faced disadvantage, disability, or come from an under-represented racial/ethnic group. After research applications undergo peer review, applications will be selected for funding based on scientific merit as assessed by peer review in combination with strategic considerations as determined by MACCHE's Steering Committee. Aim #2. To create a multidisciplinary mentoring network and community for pilot project awardees (“MACCHE health equity scholars”) inclusive of senior faculty with health equity expertise. With oversight by MACCHE's ID Core, Early-Stage Investigators receiving MACCHE pilot awards will establish mentoring committees including a primary mentor and two co-mentors to provide overall career mentoring in scholar's background discipline. When possible, we will match scholars with a `national' mentor from another one of the P50 programs. In addition, one of our Core program faculty advisors will oversee the scholar's progress in the program. Aim #3. To support Early-Stage Investigators with structured didactic training to promote ethical, scientifically rigorous, and reproducible research to address chronic disease disparities. Pilot grant awardees will be required to participate in didactic training on “Responsible Conduct of Research” and “Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility” offered at one of the parent institutions. In addition, they will be encouraged to participate in other career development opportunities, including courses on Grant Writing, Scholar Skills and Community- Building, and Writing Accountability Groups. By providing pilot research funding in combination with enhanced mentoring, MACCHE's Pilot Award Program will promo...