UTEP FIRST Admin Core

NIH RePORTER · NIH · U54 · $4,546,558 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

The overarching goal of the proposed UTEP FIRST Administrative Core is to achieve significant systemic and sustainable institutional culture change that support development and retention of faculty who have an inclusive- excellence mindset and who excel in research focused on reducing Hispanic Health Disparities [HHD]. To reach its goals, the AC will involve stakeholders across the university in its strategic actions and development of policies, procedures, and processes. In addition, the AC will work closely with the Faculty Development Core and coordinate with the Evaluation Core to assess the impact and make improvements throughout the course of the grant. The Specific Aims enumerated below align with the Inclusive Excellence framing adopted by the university. Aim 1: Cultivate institutional structures that ensure HHD researchers flourish and excel. The proposed activities will invest in the infrastructure and resources needed to support the growth of HHD bureaucratic structures that provide equitable and inclusive policies, procedures, practices, and processes. Aim 2: Examine and improve behaviors across the university and units that contribute to the growth of HHD researchers and make excellence inclusive. The proposed activities will establish best practices for faculty searches and hiring that use an Inclusive Excellence approach, deliver professional development workshops that reinforce Inclusive Excellence practices inside and outside the classroom, and create programming that prepares and empowers future leaders who champion Inclusive Excellence. Aim 3: Establish knowledge- informed processes to continuously improve inclusive excellence focused on the progression of FIRST cohort faculty and other HHD investigators. The activities will include conducting the AAAS STEMM Equity Achievement [SEA] Change self-assessment to establish DEI action plans and create a data dashboard that includes access to research-based studies that inform decision-making. The AC expected outcomes are: successful hires of a six-researcher cohort that is composed of highly qualified faculty in HHD research and committed to Inclusive Excellence; the FIRST faculty cohort receive constructive feedback during performance evaluation and are involved in multi-level mentoring that supports their progression toward T&P; professional development workshops are effective based on Inclusive Excellence indicators; institutional policies and procedures aligned with Inclusive Excellence are institutionalized; and FIRST faculty move from early-stage investigators to established principal investigators to emergent leaders.

Key facts

NIH application ID
10857170
Project number
5U54CA280922-02
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS EL PASO
Principal Investigator
Deana Pennington
Activity code
U54
Funding institute
NIH
Fiscal year
2024
Award amount
$4,546,558
Award type
5
Project period
2023-06-05 → 2025-04-08