Building a Diverse Workforce and Thinkforce to Reduce Health Disparities

The Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program was congressionally mandated in 1985 to build research capacity at institutions that currently and historically recruit, train, and award doctorate degrees in the health professions and health-related sciences, primarily to individuals from underrepresented and minority populations. RCMI grantees share similar infrastructure needs and institutional goals. Of particular importance is the professional development of multidisciplinary teams of academic and community scholars (the workforce) and the harnessing of the heterogeneity of thought (the thinkforce) to reduce health disparities. The purpose of this report is to summarize the presentations and discussion at the RCMI Investigator Development Core (IDC) Workshop, held in conjunction with the RCMI Program National Conference in Bethesda, Maryland, in December 2019. The RCMI IDC Directors provided information about their professional development activities and Pilot Projects Programs and discussed barriers identified by new and early-stage investigators that limit effective career development, as well as potential solutions to overcome such obstacles. This report also proposes potential alignments of professional development activities, targeted goals and common metrics to track productivity and success.

Automated summary

The RCMI Program, mandated in 1985, aims to build research capacity in health institutions that recruit, train, and award doctorate degrees to underrepresented and minority populations. The report summarizes the discussions at the RCMI IDC Workshop held in December 2019, focusing on professional development activities, barriers for new investigators, and proposed solutions to enhance career development. The report also suggests potential alignments of professional development activities, goals, and metrics to track productivity and success.