Minority Institutions Research Articles

The Relevance of the Cross-Border-Student Mobility along the Hungarian-Romanian Border Region

The settlements inhabited by the Hungarian minority in Romania have mixed (with Hungarian and Romanian language) and partly segregated (Hungarian) school network. After the Romanian integration to the European Union and the simplification of border crossing, the Hungarian minority along the Hungarian-Romanian border, a new process appeared: the cross-border commuting of university and secondary school students the two-step migration. This process fills some of the demographic deficit in the Hungarian education network, but, at the same time it is creating hiatus in the Hungarian school network in Romania. This process has a negative effect on the sustainability of minority institutions in the short term, and in the medium term it has a negative effect on the available human resources and limits the development opportunities of the local economy. Over the past four years, we have followed the process of choosing a high school with the help of quantitative and qualitative studies. The results are suitable for exploring the significance and proportion of the process of cross-border two-step migration.

Abstract B093: Facilitating conversations on cancer genomic education: Development of a toolkit for community advisory boards

Abstract Community Advisory Boards are representative groups of individuals that reside in a particular area and serve an important role in the research process. Often CABs are the voice of the community, rather it be key community stakeholders, business, or community organizations. The purpose of this project is to describe the development of a cancer genomic toolkit and initial introduction of the toolkit to local community advisory boards to CAB members interested in cancer genomic topics to increase inclusion and awareness of emerging topics and activities around cancer genomic research. Existing CAB members from the Meharry Medical College/Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center/Tennessee State University Cancer Partnership (MVTCP) and the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) at Meharry Medical College were introduced to a cancer genomic toolkit that is in development. CAB members were presented the toolkit during a regularly scheduled CAB meeting for approximately 30 minutes and were allowed 10 minutes to answer questions. After the presentation of the cancer genomic toolkit, CAB members were sent a word document version of the toolkit to provide any feedback for improvement during the development stage. CAB members were allowed up to two months to review the cancer genomic toolkit. Directions for review were to use track changes and leave comments or provide direct feedback via email response. To date, one CAB member has provided individualized feedback. Group feedback included questions and open discussion around historic research participation. Next steps are to introduce the tool to a newly formed genomic community advisory board and begin to reiterate the toolkit for evaluation and implementation for other local CABs. Citation Format: Calandra G. Whitted. Facilitating conversations on cancer genomic education: Development of a toolkit for community advisory boards [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 17th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2024 Sep 21-24; Los Angeles, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2024;33(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B093.

Mentoring Networks in Academic Medicine: A Longitudinal Exploration.

The importance of ethnic and gender representation in academic medicine is of paramount importance. While mentoring effectively attracts and retains underrepresented individuals, scientists from underrepresented groups face barriers to high-quality mentorship. The developmental network model by Higgins and Kram suggests that a variety of people with unique knowledge, connections, and resources can help propel an individual's career and personal growth. This study experimentally tested the outcomes of a workshop series and mentorship program to assist early-career biomedical investigators from predominantly minority institutions establish and maintain developmental networks. This study provides preliminary insights into the characteristics of these developmental networks for investigators with different funding goals and how these networks evolve, potentially impacting career trajectories.

68 Visiting endowed chair: a new model to support Hispanics junior investigators

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Analyze how the Endowment HIREC ‘s Mentoring and Career Coach Model A productive mentoring relationship is essential to advance researchers into being independent and bring extramural funds. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Provide Hispanic researchers mentoring and career coaching to strengthen their pathway as researcher. The HiREC’s Career Coach and Mentoring Component (CCMC) is an innovated approach to support long-lasting research mentoring relationships in our institution. This approach was developed to advance research to eliminate health disparities, promote multidisciplinary translational research in a Minority Institution and sustain research infrastructure and services, career, and workforce development initiatives. Promising Faculty are target and early and mid-career investigators interested in pursuing a research career. To implement the CCMC with the Visiting Endowed Chair a HiREC Advisory Leadership Group in Mentoring will be established, with researchers from Puerto Rico, and US mainland. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Three Hispanic mid-career women from the School of Medicine and one from the School of Health Professions from the University of Puerto Rico received a HiREC Advanced Research Award of $50,000. The awardees achieved their goals; completed their research plan, research infrastructure needs, peer-reviewed publications, and submission of a competitive grant. They also provided successful perspectives on mentoring relationships in a Minority institution. Each one showed the mentor’s and mentee’s experiences as fundamental for their research advancements, productivity, leadership, and successful results. HiIREC’s mentoring component with the Visiting Endowed Chairs improves a healthy work environment and expands the research agenda for each awardee sustaining the institutional research culture. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: A productive mentoring relationship is essential to advance researchers into being independent and bring extramural funds. Four mentees received formal, long-term guidance and endowment funds for their research infrastructure requirements with successful outcomes. HiREC contributes to building up an institutional mentoring program.

RIGHTS OF MINORITIES TO ESTABLISH AND ADMINISTER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

The Preamble of our Constitution aims at securing the unity and integrity of the nation. To maintain justice and freedom of opinion, belief, faith, and worship, minority populations enjoy religious and cultural protections guaranteed by the Constitution. Treating unequal as equals is as bad as treating equals as unequal. Everyone has the right to equality and the same possibilities under our Constitution, yet treating people equally means treating those differently who weren't born alike. Because minorities in India have faced such terrible discrimination and are not treated equally with others, our Constitution's founders guaranteed special rights to minorities under Articles 29 and 30. The idea of granting minorities some special rights is to make them feel secure. The purpose of special rights for minorities is to ensure the preservation of minority institutions and to ensure autonomy in the management of these institutions, not to foster inequality but to promote equality. Education empowers and enlightens society. An essential component of human development is education. The preamble to the constitution states that the golden goals of Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, including social, economic, and political justice, must be attained for the Indian polity to succeed.

Abstract 4804: Prevalence of anal HPV infection in women attending a gynecology and colposcopy clinic: Assessing the potential impact of HPV vaccination

Abstract Human papillomavirus (HPV) accounts for over 80% of anal cancer cases. In the effort to prevent HPV-related cancers, the 9-valent HPV vaccine emerged as a crucial intervention, targeting HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58; the previous 4-valent (types 6,11,16,18) and 2-valent (types 16, 18). This study involved 213 women aged 21-50 attending gynecology and colonoscopy clinics in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The study assessed anal HPV prevalence and analyzed vaccination status-related differences. Anal swabs were collected for HPV testing using the ATILA AmpFire, targeting 17 HPV types. This method identified 15 high-risk HPV types (16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, and 68) and two low-risk HPV types (6 and 11). Prevalence of any HPV, HR-HPV, and LR-HPV, and of specific HPV types were calculated by overall and vaccination status. Differences were assessed for statistical significance (p<0.05) using Fisher's exact or Pearson χ2 test. The mean age of women was 36.0 ± 5.9 years. Overall, 19.7% (n=44) had received the HPV vaccine; among them, 52.2% (n=23) had received the 4-valent vaccine, 2.3% had received the 2-valent vaccine, 2.3% had received the 9-valent vaccine, and 43.2% were uncertain about their specific HPV vaccine type. The prevalence of anal HPV infection was 68.5% for any HPV, 61.5% for HR-HPV, and 15.0% for LR-HPV. The most prevalent HR-HPV types were HPV 56 (13.2%), HPV 68 (11.7%), and HPV 66 (11.2%). There were no statistically significant differences in the prevalence of any HPV, HR-HPV, and LR-HPV between vaccinated and unvaccinated women. The most common HR-HPV type among vaccinated were HPV 66 (20.5%), HPV 31 (18.2%), HPV 56 (15.9%), while the most common among unvaccinated women were HPV 56 (12.4%), HPV 68 (12.4%), and HPV 16 (12.4%). Additionally, when evaluating as a grouped variable, the HPV genotypes covered by the 4-valent, unvaccinated women had a significantly higher prevalence of these types as compared to those vaccinated (28.9% vs. 13.6%, respectively, p-value =.03). The unvaccinated women showed a lower prevalence for HPV types covered by the 9-valent vaccine compared to the vaccinated cohort (43.2% vs. 45.5%). However, this difference was not statistically significant. We found a high prevalence of anal HPV among these women, with lower prevalence of 4-valent and 2-valent HPV types among vaccinated women, evidencing the pivotal role of HPV vaccination. Future research should assess the 9-valent vaccine's long-term effectiveness against more HPV types. Funding: Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), University of Puerto Rico (NIMHD # 2U54MD007600-36), and CAPAC Research Training Program (NCI #R25CA240120). Citation Format: Anelisse Dominicci-Maura, Ana Patricia Ortiz, Josefina Romaguera, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino. Prevalence of anal HPV infection in women attending a gynecology and colposcopy clinic: Assessing the potential impact of HPV vaccination [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 4804.

Abstract 2141: Prevalence of cervical high risk HPV serotypes not covered by the 9vt vaccine in a clinic-based sample of Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico

Abstract Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common female malignancy worldwide. Puerto Rico (PR) has the highest age-adjusted incidence of cervical cancer in the U.S. High-risk strains of human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) have been identified as common causative agents of CC. We aimed to characterize the prevalence of High-Risk HPV (HR-HPV) genotypes among a clinic-based sample of 368 HIV-negative women using a high-resolution approach. We used baseline data from IRB protocol 10510114. Cervical swabs underwent genomic DNA extractions followed by typification of HPV genotypes using a short-polymerase chain reaction-fragment assay (SPF10-LiPA) which detects 14 mucosal HR-HPV types (LiPA-25); 10 types (8 HR and 2LR) included in the 9-valent vaccine and 13 others not included on it. This process uses SPF10 primers to amplify a 65 bp fragment of the L1 open reading frame of HPV, followed by a reverse-hybridizationfor specific HPV genotypes by comparing the results to standardized kit controls. Cervical cytology was acquired for all participants. Data was collected from 186 women negative to intraepithelial lesions (NILM), 65 with low-grade lesions (LGSIL), 23 atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and 94 with high-grade lesions (HGSIL).Among study results, the prevalence of any HR-HPV infection was high overall (~71.5%) and higher in women who had either LGSIL or HGSIL. The top leading HR types detected were 51 (20.4%), 16 (18.5%), 52 (13.60%), 33 (13.00%) and 56 (11.00%, with other types including HPVs 35,39, 68 or 59.Nearly 34.00% of the identified cervical HR-HPV types, are not included in the 9-valent vaccine. The most common HPV types in HGSIL, included HR HPV types 16 (30.9%), 52 (18.10%), 51 (14.9%) and 33 (10.60%). In this group, only 35.20% were HPV16/18. The other 64.80% were other HR-HPV types and, based on the ASCCP guidelines, would not require a colposcopy, and could be observed in one year. Among these HGSIL (n=94) 48.9% of the HPV types were not included in the vaccine. HPV 51 was the most dominant in ASCUS (26.10%), LGSIL (20%), and women who were negative for intraepithelial lesions (NILM 22.6%). Additionally, the most prevalent HPV-HR serotypes across all cytology categories in the vaccinated cohort were 52 (11.14%), 16 (8.02%) and 31 (7.56%), whereas in the non-vaccinated cohort were HPV 16 (20.6%), 51 (17.55%), 33 (13.33%), 52 (12.29%), and 56 (11.94%).In conclusion, the high burden of other high-risk types not covered by the vaccine in women with high-grade lesions suggests that delaying immediate colposcopy might limit the identification of cervical lesions. Even though this is not a population-based study, the high prevalence of these other HR-HPV types calls for their inclusion in future generations of the vaccine. Study sponsored by 2U54MD007600-36 (8538) Research Centers in Minority Institutions of the University of Puerto Rico (NIH/NIMHD). Citation Format: Romaguera Josefina, Bianka Morales, Andrea Cortes, Ana Rosario, Andrea Padilla-Bou, Maria Frontera, Claudia Rosado, Daniela Cargas-Robles, Ana P. Ortiz, Filipa Godoy-Vitorino. Prevalence of cervical high risk HPV serotypes not covered by the 9vt vaccine in a clinic-based sample of Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2141.

Russia’s Minority Institutions, Ethnic Boundaries, and Social-Humanitarian Work: A Case of Collective Responsibility?

ABSTRACT This article analyzes the interconnection of ethnic boundary-making and collective responsibility, with reference to the social-humanitarian work of Russia’s ethnic minority organizations. Employing data from interviews with minority representatives, it shows that the notion of collective responsibility has played a role in reproducing (symbolic) ethnic boundaries, through the interplay of three factors: ethnic institutions, social networks and power distribution. These processes unfold in a sociopolitical context that places an emphasis on stability and security. Meanwhile, macro-level dynamics (state-endorsed discourses and structural conditions) interact with micro-level processes (minority representatives' experiences and actions) – both impacting upon Russia’s nationalities policy.

Victims of Working with Religious Minority Collaborators in India

India is a nation of great diversity, home to multitudes of ethnicities, languages, and religions. It is a land that has a rich cultural and religious heritage, with Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism being some of the major religions practiced by the people of India. However, this diversity has also led to religious tension and conflict, especially with the rise of religious fundamentalism and extremism. In this context, victims of working with religious minority collaborators in India have faced various challenges and have had to deal with the repercussions of their collaboration. This essay aims to explore the historical context, key figures, impact, and the influential individuals who have contributed to the field of victims of working with religious minority collaborators in India, while also discussing the different perspectives and potential future developments related to this issue. Victim of those who are working in Religious Minority Institutions of India. India is home to a large number of religious minority organizations. India has a create history of violence against members, who are working in religious minorities in the past few years. Religious minority organizations exploit their employees due to misinterpretation of constitutional rights in India. In India, there is no Minority Trust Act in India, even though the taking advantage from the constitution of India, “The Minority” and under the Minority, Bullying of religious minority organizations in India. Nobody is touch this subject due to some “Special” treatment of the Minority from the Government. There for the Minority Institutes are goes out of controlled and they bullying their workers/employers.

Implementation of Religious Moderation in the Non-Formal Education in Forming a Multicultural Society

Sharia has taught moderation through several verses in the Qur'an, such as surah Al-Baqarah verse 256 and surah Yunus verse 99. Meanwhile, Prophet Muhammad taught moderation during his stay in Medina, as stated in the Medina Charter. This charter has given enough space for non-Muslims to worship without interference. Today, moderation is often preached at both institutional and cultural levels. However, its implementation is usually a dead end. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the implementation of moderation in shaping a multicultural society. The results of this study show that religious implementation can start from the most minor institutions, such as TPQ and family. In addition, religious moderation is also the basis of cultural life because moderation will bring justice, balance, and compassion. The implementation of religious moderation within the framework of a multicultural society must be done from an early age. Good habituation will form a good and strong character that is shown by mutual respect, appreciation of differences, and love for the nation and state. Among the habits to form a moderate character are memorizing short letters that explain the interpretation of bismillah, praying in the congregation as a symbol of unity and integrity, then for confirmation of faith, and khatmil Quran, which begins with singing the national anthem.

Regulation of renal function by the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha: A novel target for treating hypertension

Approximately 37 million people in the U.S. have chronic kidney disease, which is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and end stage renal diseases. We have identified a nuclear receptor, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor – alpha (PPAR-α), that plays a major role in regulating renal glomerular filtration rate in an experimental model of hypertension. Targeting PPAR-α signaling provides novel therapeutic strategies for reducing hypertension associated chronic kidney disease. PPAR-α knockout (KO) mice exhibit increased renal inflammation and blood pressure response to Angiotensin II (Ang II). In this study, we investigated the role of PPAR-α in renal function in a mouse model of hypertension. Male 4-month-old wild type (WT) and PPAR-α KO mice were instrumented with radio transmitters by artery canulation (Data Science International). This method minimizes stress and artifacts by avoiding the use of tethering, restraining, or anesthetizing the mice during data sampling. After recovery from surgery, we continuously measured mean arterial pressure (MAP) via radio telemetry in conscious ambulatory mice. After baseline MAP was established, vehicle (Veh; saline) or Ang II were infused using an osmotic minipump at a slow pressor dose (400 ng/kg/min) for 12 days. On day 12, we injected an intravenous bolus of fluorescin-sinistrin (3.74 ml/g body weight) and collected 8 blood samples (20 μl/sample) during a 75-minute period to enable calculation of the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) using [GFR = I/(A/a + B/b]. Similar to our prior observations, no significant (ns) differences in baseline MAP were observed between WT and PPAR-α KO mice [(mmHg): WT (n=6), 111±20 vs. PPAR-α KO (n=6), 113 ± 10; ns] whereas after 12 days of the slow pressor effect of Ang II, MAP was increased in both strains [(mmHg): WT (n=8), 138 ± 11# vs. PPAR-α KO (n=8), 156 ± 16#; #p<0.05 vs. basal, same strain]; however, the increase in MAP was greater in the PPAR-α KO (43 mmHg) compared to WT (27 mmHg) mice. The absence of PPAR-α reduced GFR by 24% under basal conditions [(μl/min): WT (n=3), 346 ± 20 vs. PPAR-α KO (n=3), 275 ± 27*, *p<0.05 vs WT]. After 12 days of Ang II infusion, GFR was reduced in WT mice by 27% and did not further reduce GFR in PPAR-α KO mice [(μl/min): WT (n=6), 251 ± 11# vs. PPAR-α KO (n=6), 277 ± 61; #p<0.05 vs. basal, same strain]. PPAR-α protects mice from worsening hypertension and is critical to preserving GFR during normotensive conditions. Ongoing studies are further investigating how PPAR-α regulates renal function. These finding suggest therapeutics designed to increase PPAR-α activity could have clinical benefit in chronic kidney disease. Howard University Research Centers at Minority Institutions, Georgetown-Howard Universities Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Howard University Aging Grant, K01HL092593 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Individual and Institutional Factors Contribute to Research Capacity Building for Early-Stage Investigators from Groups Underrepresented in Biomedical Research: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis.

Enhancement of diversity within the U.S. research workforce is a recognized need and priority at a national level. Existing comprehensive programs, such as the National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) and Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI), have the dual focus of building institutional research capacity and promoting investigator self-efficacy through mentoring and training. A qualitative comparative analysis was used to identify the combination of factors that explain the success and failure to submit a grant proposal by investigators underrepresented in biomedical research from the RCMI and non-RCMI institutions. The records of 211 participants enrolled in the NRMN Strategic Empowerment Tailored for Health Equity Investigators (NRMN-SETH) program were reviewed, and data for 79 early-stage, underrepresented faculty investigators from RCMI (n = 23) and non-RCMI (n = 56) institutions were included. Institutional membership (RCMI vs. non-RCMI) was used as a possible predictive factor and emerged as a contributing factor for all of the analyses. Access to local mentors was predictive of a successful grant submission for RCMI investigators, while underrepresented investigators at non-RCMI institutions who succeeded with submitting grants still lacked access to local mentors. Institutional contexts contribute to the grant writing experiences of investigators underrepresented in biomedical research.

MINORITY POLITICAL AGENCY AND ORBÁN’S MONO‑PYRAMIDAL RULE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF EFFECTS OF HUNGARIAN KIN- STATE POLICIES IN ROMANIA AND UKRAINE AFTER 2010

My comparative analysis focusing on Hungarians in Romania and Ukraine tries to describe how Viktor Orbán’s kinstate policy affected minority political agency, e.g., strategies of ethnic bargaining and institutions governing minority elites. I investigate security‑oriented approaches within the framework of international relations (IR) and I propose a broader analytical model for mapping kinstate policy effects on minority groups. I have in view the changes that occurred after May 2010, when the second Fidesz government was elected. Post‑2010 Hungarian kinstate policies foster a homogeneous concept of the nation and try to integrate minority Hungarians into the mono‑pyramidal rule of Orbán’s increasingly authoritarian regime. This process, although detrimental to intra‑ethnic democratic functioning, cannot be described properly through IR related models focusing on macro‑political aspects and programmatic elements of ethnic bargaining. Therefore, I employ a more nuanced concept of minority political agency including meso‑level strategies of governing minority institutions and building networks of political patronage. Based on quantitative analysis of kinstate subsidies and semi‑structured interviews conducted with key minority actors, I conclude that effects of Hungarian kinstate policy are the most visible at meso‑level, as Hungarian communities were incorporated into Orbán’s regime through minority institutions. The comparison between the cases proved to be useful because I was able to distinguish between two different models of incorporation, a more monolithic local level intra‑ethnic autocracy in Ukraine and a more decentralized patronage‑based incorporation in Romania. The dissimilitudes are due to initial differences in the organization of the two minority fields on the one hand, and the path‑dependent relationship between Fidesz and the dominant minority elite faction, on the other.

Strategic Team Science Promotes Collaboration and Practice-Based Research at the Research Centers in Minority Institutions.

This paper reports on the implementation and evaluation of a strategy to promote collaborations and team science among investigators at the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI). The strategy presented in this paper was a hands-on workshop that allowed the application of strategic team science through structured dialogue, asset sharing, and systematic exploration of opportunities for collaboration. The workshop was attended by more than 100 participants, including RCMI and non-RCMI investigators, practice-based research network (PBRN) supplement program directors, and an NIH Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Program Officer. A post-workshop survey was administered to collect participant feedback, assess the relevance of the workshop to the participants' professional development goals, and gauge the applicability of the tool as a support strategy to promote collaborative research. Most of the participants acknowledged that the session met the conference objectives (95.8%), and 93.7% noted that the workshop, to a high degree, met their personal goals and objectives. During the workshop, participants shared 35 resources they were willing and able to offer for prospective collaborative projects. The experience reported and evaluated in this paper paves the way to understanding methods for disseminating effective strategies for inter-institutional collaborations for the sustainable growth and operation of PBRNs.

A Case Study of Enhancing the Data Science Capacity of an RCMI Program at a Historically Black Medical College.

As data grows exponentially across diverse fields, the ability to effectively leverage big data has become increasingly crucial. In the field of data science, however, minority groups, including African Americans, are significantly underrepresented. With the strategic role of minority-serving institutions to enhance diversity in the data science workforce and apply data science to health disparities, the National Institute for Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD) provided funding in September 2021 to six Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) to improve their data science capacity and foster collaborations with data scientists. Meharry Medical College (MMC), a historically Black College/University (HBCU), was among the six awardees. This paper summarizes the NIMHD-funded efforts at MMC, which include offering mini-grants to collaborative research groups, surveys to understand the needs of the community to guide project implementation, and data science training to enhance the data analytics skills of the RCMI investigators, staff, medical residents, and graduate students. This study is innovative as it addressed the urgent need to enhance the data science capacity of the RCMI program at MMC, build a diverse data science workforce, and develop collaborations between the RCMI and MMC's newly established School of Applied Computational Science. This paper presents the progress of this NIMHD-funded project, which clearly shows its positive impact on the local community.

Trust and Biomedical Research Engagement of Minority and Under-Represented Communities in Mississippi, USA.

Trust is critical to the development and maintenance of effective research collaborations and community engagement. The purpose of this study was to assess the current attitudes and level of trust pertaining to health research among residents of Central Mississippi, the priority health region for the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Center for Health Disparities Research (RCHDR) at Jackson State University. The cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to April 2022. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics carried out by SPSS statistical software. A total of 146 participants responded to the survey. The participants were predominately African American (99%) and female (75%). Historical research studies, the researchers' qualities, and potential benefits from participation were factors affecting the level of trust in the research process. Ninety percent (n = 131) expressed that it was important to be involved in the research process, and 98.5% (n = 144) agreed that discussing the research findings with the participants was important for establishing trust in the research process. While trust in the research process does not guarantee participation, trust is a precursor for those who decide to engage in health disparities research. Key findings will be integrated into the RCHDR research agenda to foster further development and implementation of innovative community-based participatory research toward the control and/or prevention of diseases that disproportionately affect minority and under-represented populations in Mississippi.

Vijeća nacionalnih manjina u Hrvatskoj kao oblik neteritorijalne autonomije – između sna i jave

This paper deals with the role of national minority councils through the prism of the concept of non-territorial autonomy. These councils were established as institutes for minority representation, aiming to strengthen the influence of national minorities on local and regional politics in the part related to their position. Similar forms of minority representation are established in most European countries and are often analysed within the concepts and distinction of non-territorial autonomy and territorial autonomy. As will be shown in the paper, territorial autonomy presupposes a much higher degree of autonomy for minority institutions in deciding on issues important for national minorities. It is more suitable for countries where these minorities reside in certain parts of the national territory. In practice, we often encounter minority political institutions that have features of non-territorial autonomy. These institutions can assume various forms and achieve different degrees of autonomy in deciding on local policies and affairs of interest to minority groups. Although councils of national minorities possess substantial democratisation potential and can significantly contribute to the position of national minorities, previous research does not support this claim. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (i) to determine whether national minority councils constitute an institutional form of non-territorial autonomy and (ii) to assess their actual role in promoting and protecting the interests of national minorities within local political processes. In order to examine this, the paper employs legal analysis, a review of secondary data available in scientific and professional literature, and a direct analysis of available data on the financing of national minority councils and voter participation in elections for these councils. The role of national minority councils is analysed in four aspects: the legal basis of non-territorial autonomy, the right to self-regulation, the right to establish own decision-making bodies and their scope of work, and their financing. In addition, the voter response to council elections is analysed as a possible indicator of the legitimacy of directly elected bodies. With regard to the legal basis of their establishment, it can be concluded that they enjoy the highest level of protection, having been established by constitutional law, which, due to the adoption procedure, holds a position between the Constitution and other organic laws. Furthermore, the Constitution of the Republic of Croatia guarantees members of national minorities the right to cultural autonomy, and the councils are an expression of the explicitly recognised collective rights of national minorities. They were established as a collective entity with legal personality. The legislator intended to establish councils as “minority self-government” institutions in local and regional self-government units. However, many authors state that, for a number of reasons, councils cannot be characterised as such. This brings us to their real role, manifested in the right of councils to self-regulation, self-organisation and the establishment of their own decision-making bodies as essential determinants of non-territorial autonomy. The councils adopt various acts, including a statute regulating important aspects of their operation, a work programme, a financial plan, a final account, and other internal acts governing matters crucial to their functioning. They also have their own decision-making bodies, primarily the president and deputy president of the council, and have the authority to establish other working bodies. However, the council’s powers are regulated by constitutional law and are reduced to a solely consultative role. Therefore, the question arises as to their actual influence in shaping political decisions related to the interests of national minorities, as they depend on the cooperation and will of local political actors in this regard. Another problem is the limited financial and administrative resources available for their functioning. The political legitimacy of the council, gained through minority electorate participation in elections, is also questionable, given the extremely low voter turnout across all election cycles. This is also an indicator of the council’s non-recognition as a relevant entity in protecting the rights of national minorities at the local level. To conduct a deeper analysis of the actual role of national minority councils and verify their influence in individual local communities, empirical research is necessary. The paper concludes that, although councils have a high level of legal protection, political legitimacy, internal bodies, and institutional experience, they are confined to a consultative role and lack significant influence over local political processes important for national minorities.

Summary of Year-One Effort of the RCMI Consortium to Enhance Research Capacity and Diversity with Data Science.

Despite being disproportionately impacted by health disparities, Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and other underrepresented populations account for a significant minority of graduates in biomedical data science-related disciplines. Given their commitment to educating underrepresented students and trainees, minority serving institutions (MSIs) can play a significant role in enhancing diversity in the biomedical data science workforce. Little has been published about the reach, curricular breadth, and best practices for delivering these data science training programs. The purpose of this paper is to summarize six Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMIs) awarded funding from the National Institute of Minority Health Disparities (NIMHD) to develop new data science training programs. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to better understand the demographics of learners served, curricular topics covered, methods of instruction and assessment, challenges, and recommendations by program directors. Programs demonstrated overall success in reach and curricular diversity, serving a broad range of students and faculty, while also covering a broad range of topics. The main challenges highlighted were a lack of resources and infrastructure and teaching learners with varying levels of experience and knowledge. Further investments in MSIs are needed to sustain training efforts and develop pathways for diversifying the biomedical data science workforce.

Building Research Infrastructure: The Development of a Technical Assistance Group-Service Center at an RCMI.

As one of the Research Centers for Minority Institutions (RCMI), the Southwest Health Equity Research Collaborative (SHERC) worked over the first five-year period of funding to foster the advancement of Early Stage Investigators, enhance the quality of health disparities research, and increase institution research capacity in basic Biomedical, Behavioral, and/or Clinical research; all priorities of RCMIs. In year 4, the Technical Assistance Group-Service Center (TAG-SC) was created to help achieve these goals. The TAG-SC provides one-on-one investigator project development support, including research design, data capture, and analysis. Successful implementation of the TAG-SC was tracked using Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), a secure, web-based software platform allowing for immediate tracking and evaluation processes. In the first two years, 86 tickets were submitted through the REDCap system for methodological support by TAG-SC experts (faculty and staff) for assistance with health-equity related research, primarily SHERC and externally funded Social/Behavioral research projects. The TAG-SC increased the research capacity for investigators, especially within the SHERC. In this manuscript, we describe the methods used to create the TAG-SC and the REDCap tracking system and lessons learned, which can help other RCMIs interested in creating a similar service center offering an innovative way to build methodological infrastructure.

Research Infrastructure Core Facilities at Research Centers in Minority Institutions: Part I-Research Resources Management, Operation, and Best Practices.

Funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Research Centers in Minority Institutions (RCMI) Program fosters the development and implementation of innovative research aimed at improving minority health and reducing or eliminating health disparities. Currently, there are 21 RCMI Specialized (U54) Centers that share the same framework, comprising four required core components, namely the Administrative, Research Infrastructure, Investigator Development, and Community Engagement Cores. The Research Infrastructure Core (RIC) is fundamentally important for biomedical and health disparities research as a critical function domain. This paper aims to assess the research resources and services provided and evaluate the best practices in research resources management and networking across the RCMI Consortium. We conducted a REDCap-based survey and collected responses from 57 RIC Directors and Co-Directors from 98 core leaders. Our findings indicated that the RIC facilities across the 21 RCMI Centers provide access to major research equipment and are managed by experienced faculty and staff who provide expert consultative and technical services. However, several impediments to RIC facilities operation and management have been identified, and these are currently being addressed through implementation of cost-effective strategies and best practices of laboratory management and operation.