Abstract – Investigator Development Core (IDC) Preparing researchers and, importantly, inclusion of diverse researchers from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to gain skills and health disparities (HD) expertise is vital to addressing health inequalities. Thus, investigator development remains an essential component of capacity building for HD research. Multiple departments across NCCU offer a diverse pool of faculty and scientists who will be targeted and supported for career development in these areas. The Investigator Development Core (IDC) proposes two specific aims that complement each other to cultivate researchers focusing on important issues of minority health. SA1: Administer and employ a rigorous and competitive pilot project program to stimulate new biomedical, behavioral and population health disparity (HD) research at NCCU: This aim provides funding and administrative support to allow NCCU researchers (including senior postdocs and research and tenure-track faculty at the instructor and assistant professor level) to generate preliminary data for subsequent HD grant applications. Funding 4 to 6 pilot projects per year are proposed for years 6-11. SA2: Provide support for NCCU faculty to develop as basic biomedical and behavioral population health researchers by (a) Instituting a structured mentoring plan including the development of an individualized career development program; (b) Enhancing the HD research capacity through training and ancillary activities such as seminars, workshops, fostering partnerships with neighboring institutions including other NIH funded Centers for capacity building; and (c) Developing an internal grant review framework similar to the NIH online grant review process to ensure timely and rigorous review of NCCU grants before submission to external agencies. IDC will work closely with other cores with the Center including (Internal (IAC), External (EAC) and Mentoring (MAC Advisory Committee), Research Capacity Core (RCC), and Community Engagement Core (CEC) co-leads and faculty leads of RCC sub-cores to assure seamless interaction between pilot awardees and RCHDR resources. Meeting the mission of RCHDR lies in large part on the success of the IDC fostering the growth of new investigators. The integrated infrastructure of the IDC will meet these goals.