In 2017 - 2018, MHDI submitted over ten proposals, with total direct costs of more than $20,000,000 dollars. This represents one of our most significant accomplishments and one of our most successful years for proposal submissions. As we look to the future, and to the addition of core faculty to our existing team, we feel that the shared resource model, based around a common interest theme, represents the fastest route to the community of scholars envisioned by the original MHDI Leadership Team.
​
More information on publications and proposals can be found here.
MHDI recognizes that UNL’s junior faculty, who specialize in minority health disparities (MHD) research, require a more robust mentoring program to be competitive in today’s funding environment. The MHDI faculty mentoring program looks to capitalize on the departmental support already provided to our affiliated early career MHD researchers. We understand that the trend towards inter-institutional trans-disciplinary research teams requires a junior faculty mentoring program with an interdisciplinary, multiple strategic approach. We provide our junior faculty with a wide range of support including:
-
helping develop a tenure track strategic work plan
-
providing on the ground support of their community engaged research
-
grant proposal development from concept stage to funding of research
There is a shortage of minority health scientists, especially among nurses, public health practitioners, and other health professionals whose training places them in a unique position to address health disparities. To address this shortage, the MHDI administers a summer research program for undergraduates. This program is funded through a National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) grant. This grant allows undergraduate students who qualify to receive training in research in their field. Thirty students (10 each summer) were accepted into the 2015-2017 SRP MHD cohorts and spent ten weeks working on research at UNL under the direction of MHDI Director Kirk Dombrowski and a faculty mentor. Students are paired with faculty mentors working on research. Undergraduate students in the program received a stipend as well as housing for the duration of the 10- week summer program. The MHD REU program focuses on social network analysis applied in minority health research. In this program which was recently funded for another three years, REU participants learn basic approaches to network science/SNA and then employ these skills in a range of sponsoring NIH- and NSF-funded research projects at UNL that focus on minority health and health disparities.
RESEARCH
ASSISTANT PROGRAM
In addition to the NSF REU, MHDI administers a Research Assistantship Program in collaboration with the McNair Scholars program at UNL. Since its inception, MHDI has provided training to over 50 undergraduate and graduate students. This program enables students to work directly with MHDI faculty affiliates and our leadership team on issues surrounding health disparities. MHDI students utilize and develop a wide combination of skills to understand and disseminate minority health disparity information to the UNL community and beyond, and to bring together an audience that forms the basis of a research community. Many of our past and present scholars are now transitioning to graduate and Ph.D. students, post-doctoral students, and full-time faculty positions using the training they received at UNL to generate new and enhanced programs, policies, and practices to reduce and eliminate health disparities.