# Community Engagement Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY · 2024 · $320,290

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
The Mexican American population is the fastest growing minority group in the US and experiences significant
health disparities. However, Mexican Americans are underrepresented in biomedical research, and the
population has barely benefited from the exponential growth of genetic and genomic research that has taken
place in recent decades. It is critical that genomic literacy and participation in genomic research improve if the
Mexican American population is to benefit from recent and future advances in genomics and precision medicine.
The Community Engagement Core (CEC) of the UTRGV Diversity Center for Genome Research is designed to
establish new relationships and extend existing relationships with community members and community-based
organizations in order to 1) address community-wide health concerns, 2) promote participation in genomic
research, and 3) disseminate genomic research findings. The CEC will work closely with each of the other
components of the Center to maximize opportunities for engagement with the community. The CEC will build
on established networks of interaction and trust in the local community that have been developed over many
years by Center investigators through both research and health care delivery efforts. Through a range of
activities, the Core will enhance research capacity by improving participation and retention of Mexican Americans
in genomic research projects. The Core will address four Specific Aims: 1) to assess the south Texas community
needs for, priorities for, barriers to, and interest in biomedical and genomic research through focus group
discussions, in-depth interviews, and surveys; 2) to build a network of community contacts and enhance
community involvement with the Center to improve partnerships and support the recruitment of Mexican
American study participants; 3) to foster communication to enhance dissemination and uptake of research
results; and 4) to evaluate the success of the Core, and make adjustments as required to meet community and
research needs.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10930967
- **Project number:** 5U54HG013247-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS RIO GRANDE VALLEY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gladys E. Maestre
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $320,290
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-18 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10930967

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10930967, Community Engagement Core (5U54HG013247-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10930967. Licensed CC0.

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