# Research Capacity Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $706,572

## Abstract

FIU-RCMI Research Capacity Core (RCC)
Abstract
The FIU-RCMI Research Capacity Core (RCC) plans to continue building on our existing infrastructure with
added and expanded features to provide measurable and sustainable research resources and support to
underrepresented ESIs. FIU-RCMI scientific focus areas will include basic biomedical research, behavioral
research and population science, and clinical/health services research, with one R01-equivalent project in each
area. The RCC will add to the quality and productivity of health disparity research at FIU by: 1. Providing
infrastructure support and connecting underrepresented ESIs to resources; 2. Mentoring, training and guiding
underrepresented ESIs in contemporary quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods approaches to prepare
pilot proposals, conduct, analyze and publish data, and use it to develop competitive K and R applications; 3.
Convening senior investigators, mentors and mentees to provide educational opportunities; and 4. Creating
and improving scientific methods, metrics, measures and tools for health disparity research. Innovative aspects
of the RCC include more opportunities in data science and machine learning as well as qualitative and mixed
methods approaches, providing financial and collaborative methodological guidance for mentors, increasing
the focus on advancement of methods and metrics, and adding and mentoring underrepresented ESIs in core
leadership roles. The RCMI RCC has made an impact at a minority serving institution with over 2/3
Hispanic/Latinx student constituency, and 366 ESIs among whom 53% are women and over 40% are
underrepresented minorities. To date the RCC has sponsored 53 professional development and research in
progress events reaching a total of 1,349 attendees, provided methodological mentorship and support for pilot
program applicants and awardees, conducted needs assessment to guide the RCC activities, and created a
repository of research resources and disseminated the training and funding opportunities through various
platforms. Moving forward, the goal of the RCC is to provide consistent, rigorous, innovative, and sustainable
opportunities for training and mentorship across a spectrum of underrepresented ESIs at FIU, as well as newly
recruited faculty. This will be accomplished by executing the proposed aims with new and innovative aspects
and collaborating with internal and external partners that include the RCMI network of affiliated institutions as
well as the FIU-RCMI Investigator Development and Community Engagement Cores, and FIU-
STATCONSULT, a core facility in providing sustainable methodological research services to the university
community.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10707413
- **Project number:** 5U54MD012393-07
- **Recipient organization:** FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ZORAN BURSAC
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $706,572
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-09-20 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10707413

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10707413, Research Capacity Core (5U54MD012393-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10707413. Licensed CC0.

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