# Investigator Development Core

> **NIH NIH U54** · UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES · 2020 · $432,673

## Abstract

INVESTIGATOR DEVELOPMENT CORE
Summary/ Abstract
The Center for Collaborative Research in Minority Health and Health Disparities (CCRMHD) at the University of
Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus proposes an Investigator Development Core (IDC) for its budgetary cycle
2017-2022. The CCRMHD will coordinate a pilot-project program (PPP) to nurture the growth of promising junior
faculty within the UPR-MSC by soliciting, reviewing, and awarding funds to innovative proposals that will lead to
competitive independent funding. The overall goals of the IDC are three-fold: 1) to mentor early career
investigators as they transition to independent funding; 2) to fund innovative basic, behavioral and/or clinical pilot
projects focusing on health disparities and/or minority health; 3) to match RCMI faculty with outside
collaborators/mentors in order to strengthen collaborative networks. At the end of the proposed cycle, it is
expected that 6-8 Early Stage Investigators (ESI), working on basic biomedical, behavioral and/or health
services/clinical research, will have been funded, mentored, and well on their way to independent funding
relevant to minority health and health disparities. We plan to accomplish this goal through the following Specific
Aims: Grantees will receive a two-year grant of $35-50,000 per year in order to sustain studies for a sufficient
period of time to compete successfully for outside funding. Mentoring activities will include informal meetings,
rehearsal of scientific presentations, discussion of topics relevant to successful transition to running their own
labs (using the best-seller book: At the Helm: Leading your Laboratory); and mock study-sections. Tracking and
evaluation mechanisms will be established to measure scientific progress and ensure that the goals of the
program are met, including increasing the number of publications, generating preliminary data, and increasing
grant applications and awards (including R-type and K awards). Outcome metrics will be used to refine or refocus
the solicitation, review, selection, and funding of applications made to the PPP. Staff from the Administrative
Core will support and monitor full compliance with local and federal regulatory requirements. The IDC will be
directed by Dr. Gregory J. Quirk, a senior neuroscientist at UPR-RCM, who currently serves as chair of a standing
study-section at NIH-Center for Scientific Review and has been awarded an R35 grant at NIMH. Dr. Quirk, a
basic biomedical researcher, will be assisted by an advisory committee that will include representation of the
behavioral and health services/clinical areas. The IDC will coordinate closely with the Pilot Project Program of
the Puerto Rico Clinical and Translational Research Consortium (PRCTRC), to share mentoring activities and
resources and avoid support overlap.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9956619
- **Project number:** 5U54MD007600-34
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO MED SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Gregory J Quirk
- **Activity code:** U54 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $432,673
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-09-01 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9956619

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9956619, Investigator Development Core (5U54MD007600-34). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9956619. Licensed CC0.

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