This proposal seeks to narrow the gap in health disparities that currently exist between American citizens of ethnic and racial origins by capitalizing on extending an existing partnership between the Hampton University School of Nursing and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. The proposed Hampton Penn Center for Reducing Health Disparities will:

1. Foster development of nursing partnerships between researchers, faculty, and students at Hampton University and the University and the Pennsylvania and will further health disparity research at both institutions.
2. Further the development and dissemination of culturally competent research and interventions related to health disparities among racial / ethnic minorities, marginalized and undeserved populations, and
3. Enhance the recruitment, retention and training of nurses into research careers who are themselves members of racial / ethnic minorities, marginalized and undeserved populations who will be able to build the science that will reduce health disparities.

Building on previous research in which culturally appropriate interventions have been designed to promote health and reduce risk of disease in minority populations, the Hampton Penn Center for Reducing Health Disparities (HPC) will focus on conducting culturally competent research on health promotion and disease prevention and the influence that culture, race and ethnicity exert within the client-system, healthcare-system, and the larger society that impact on health and illness.

Specifically this center will enhance the conduct of research on health promotion and disease prevention within a cultural context and will:

1. Develop methodologies that are sensitive to answering research question from diverse communities.
2. Increase the training of researchers from majority and minority institutions who conduct culturally competent research.
3. Foster research designed to reduce health disparities through a pilot funding mechanism.
4. Enhance the career development of minority health investigators (from undergraduate through faculty) who are conducting research designed to promote health and prevent disease through culturally competent research designs and interventions.