# Center for Latino Health Research Opportunities-CLaRO Investigator Development Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CORAL GABLES · 2020 · $276,118

## Abstract

Abstract 
The health of minorities and the reduction and eventual elimination of health disparities in the United States will 
largely depend on advancements in scientific health disparities research. Such advancements can only be 
accomplished by training, mentoring, and supporting the next generation of health disparities scientists. 
Consequently, the primary goal of the Investigator Development Core of the Center for Latino Health Research 
Opportunities (CLaRO) is to enhance the scientific career development of diverse post-doctoral fellows, junior 
faculty, and other early stage investigators at the University of Miami. The Specific Aims of the Investigator 
Development Core are to: (1) Conduct a Pilot Projects Program to enhance the scientific career development 
of diverse early career health disparity researchers. The Pilot Projects Program will fund 30 to 35 studies at the 
University of Miami (UM) that collect preliminary data related to the Center’s theme and conceptual framework 
to generate new R-level grant applications. The Core will also facilitate and support the dissemination of study 
findings from these pilot projects; (2) Deliver, in collaboration with the Administrative Core, a Research 
Education Training Program for early career health disparity researchers. This annual two-week training 
program will focus on providing research experience and increasing the skills required for the development and 
submission of competitive NIH R-level research grant applications. The Research Education Training Program 
will include (but not be limited to) topics such as: NIMHD’s health disparities research framework, etiology of 
health disparities in Latino populations, grantsmanship, and responsible conduct for research when conducting 
Latino health research; and (3) Link pilot project awardees and trainees participating in the Research 
Education Training Program to two mentors: a research mentor at UM from the Scientific Mentorship Board 
and a career mentor external to UM. Research mentors will guide trainees in the specific content area (e.g., 
integrated substance abuse and HIV prevention intervention development for Latino sexual/gender minority 
youth), whereas career mentors will provide guidance to mentees on general professional/career development. 
This mentoring strategy recognizes the importance of a multi-mentor approach with a focus on both content 
area and professional development. It also recognizes the fact that some important mentoring roles may be 
accomplished with distance mentoring through e-mails, phone and video conferences, and infrequent 
meetings. The Investigator Development Core capitalizes on the infrastructure and expertise inherent in the 
Administrative and the Community Engagement and Dissemination cores and on the expertise of more than 
two dozen senior faculty mentors at the UM conducting research in CLaRO’s thematic areas and producing 
more than $30 million dollars of annualized NIH funding.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9889816
- **Project number:** 5U54MD002266-14
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CORAL GABLES
- **Principal Investigator:** Guillermo Prado
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $276,118
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** — → —

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9889816

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9889816, Center for Latino Health Research Opportunities-CLaRO Investigator Development Core (5U54MD002266-14). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9889816. Licensed CC0.

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