Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science Research Endowment Program

Abstract Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) proposes the Endowment for Learning Health Systems and Learning Health Communities to create a Learning Health Systems and Learning Health Communities (LHSC) Core. The NIMHD-Endowed Urban Health Institute (UHI) was established to house

infrastructure at CDU that facilitates minority health and health disparities research across all schools and colleges, each of which strives to enhance scientific workforce diversity by training students from marginalized communities or communities of color. UHI’s priority areas of research include cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardio-

metabolic, mental health, substance abuse, and health services and policy. Previous endowment efforts have resulted in the creation of the Division of Community Engagement, which supports a community faculty track and community/healthcare partners; the Student Research Core; and the Health Services Research Center

(HSRC) to support health services and policy research. The proposed endowment plan’s overarching goal/mission is to expand and extend UHI’s research capacity with regard to community-engaged research (CEnR) and its health services and biomedical research to address minority health and health disparities, and

to enhance the diversity of the scientific workforce at CDU and its surrounding community. CDU proposes to create a Learning Health Systems and Learning Health Communities Core within UHI, a collaboration primarily with (but not limited to) the HSRC, the Division of Community Engagement, the Bioinformatics Core, and the

Student Research Core to enhance the capacity to conduct cancer, HIV/AIDS, cardio-metabolic, mental health, substance abuse, and health services research and increase the scientific workforce diversity. The following three specific aims are proposed: Specific Aim 1: To enhance institutional minority and health disparities research capacity and infrastructure

across all CDU schools and colleges by developing a Learning Health System and Communities (LHSC) Core with a focus on, but not limited to, health services and community-engaged research. Specific Aim 2: To enhance the diversity of the scientific workforce in minority health and health disparity research by creating a pipeline for masters and doctoral programs for racial and ethnic minorities and plan a

doctoral program in biomedical sciences. Specific Aim 3: To effectively manage the endowment portfolio at a level consistent with the highest fiduciary standards in the United States.