PROJECT SUMMARY The primary aim of the Recruitment Core will be to recruit and support 2 mid-level or senior faculty members with established health equity research programs to fill gaps in institutional expertise, and to support the missions of the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) and Northern Arizona University (NAU). As such, the Recruitment Core is responsible for designing and conducting effective and viable recruitment strategies to attract diverse pools of qualified applicants, including members of historically and/or currently underrepresented (UR) communities, to consider positions at NAU. To do this, the Recruitment Core will work closely with NAU’s Center for University Access and Inclusion (CUAI) and the Equity and Access Office (EAO) to engage best practices, attract a diverse pool of applicants, including individuals from underrepresented or disadvantaged backgrounds, and align purposeful support of UR faculty, staff, and administrators with NAU’s Strategic Roadmap and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion guiding principles; NAU’s Diversity Strategic Plan (DSP); and SHERC’s emergent diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) framework. Dr. Gabriel Montaño, the NAU Diversity Fellow, and past president of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS); Traci Harvey, Director of NAU’s Office of Inclusion; and Hilary North-Ellasante, MA, DEIJ consultant, will provide guidance in achieving these goals. Cultivating an inclusive environment is an ongoing practice; Mx. North-Ellasante will facilitate change work as we build capacity to expand our commitment to diversity, and to communicate opportunities that exist at NAU for faculty and scholars to contribute to our overall goal of advancing health equity in the southwestern United States (US). A formative evaluation will focus junior and senior UR faculty experiences to understand their needs and concerns, and to inform how we might best support and retain them as valuable contributing members of our campus community. We also aim to: (1) support the new hires in establishing collaborative and independent health equity research programs at NAU; and (2) incorporate the new hires into SHERC as collaborators, mentors, and leaders.