PROJECT SUMMARY Research Education Core As an essential core of the Center, the Research Education Core (REC) will build new LHS research and learning infrastructure that strengthens institutional research training in comparative effectiveness research (CER) and patient centered outcomes research (PCOR); enhances diversity in the LHS research workforce; strengthens partnerships with community partners and health systems and other stakeholders; and conducts PCOR/CER projects to improve health system operations, quality, and health outcomes. The REC will implement a plan to enhance training, professional development, and diversity in the LHS workforce, by recruiting a cadre of diverse LHS scientists and match them with mentors with expertise in relevant areas and supporting them in receiving didactic and experiential learning opportunities. The REC will include the following components: • Supporting PCOR/CER research projects for LHS scientists relevant to AHRQ/PCORI priorities: LHS scientists will propose PCOR/CER research projects relevant to AHRQ/PCORI priorities after they have a good understanding of the priorities of learning health systems where they plan to conduct their research. The REC guidance committee (PI, Co-PI, and core faculty members) will provide feedback to LHS scientists to ensure alignment of the two sets of priorities and the professional interests of LHS scientists. • Mentoring LHS scientists to achieve research career training objectives: The proposed UCSD LHS Center offers an ideal infrastructure to support mentoring, didactic, and experiential training of LHS scientists because of the combination of University of California San Diego as a highly ranked public university in the U.S. and learning health systems including UC San Diego Health, El Centro Regional Medical Center, and the Family Health Centers of San Diego. • Mentorship within academic settings: Researchers from diverse backgrounds and groups underrepresented in science are faculty and mentors in the REC. These individuals have remarkable research expertise and experience relevant to the proposed Center and demonstrate a rich history of their role as LHS Science mentors.