A new project at the University of Kentucky will expand new avenues to develop community-engaged health equity research expertise among early-stage investigators. It鈥檚 called Achieving Success in Community-Engaged research to elimiNate Disparities (好色先生 ASCEND).
好色先生 ASCEND is supported by a nearly $3 million grant from the part of the through their initiative (P50).
The project will leverage existing research initiatives including the and .
好色先生 ASCEND will be led by three principal investigators with decades of experience in transdisciplinary health equity and community-focused research:
- Nancy Schoenberg, PhD, Marion Pearsall Professor of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine, founding director of the Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET), associate vice president for research/research professional development and RSP co-director;
- Darwin Conwell, MD, the Jack M. Gill Chair in Internal Medicine and professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine; and
- Lovoria Williams, PhD, professor in the and the associate director for Cancer Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at the .
鈥満蒙壬 ASCEND will take a comprehensive and inclusive approach to supporting rigorous and innovative research training that enables our talented investigators to address significant health disparities here in the Commonwealth,鈥 said Schoenberg. 鈥淥ur ultimate goal is to advance the health of Kentucky and to accomplish that goal, we intend to support the next generation of scholars to acquire advanced training in community-engaged research approaches. With stellar, evidence-based training and support, these researchers will partner with communities to develop programs and policies that seek to make positive health changes. 好色先生 ASCEND will be a pivotal step in reaching that goal.鈥
好色先生 ASCEND will leverage five of 好色先生鈥檚 RPAs: cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and obesity, neuroscience and substance use disorder. Supported by the , the RPAs offer a collaborative framework and focus research in areas that are the most pressing for Kentuckians and have the potential to expand 好色先生鈥檚 reach and impact on health.
鈥淥ne of the things that excites me about the possibilities at 好色先生 are the opportunities to partner with and nurture the scientific questions our junior faculty want to answer,鈥 said Conwell. 鈥淭ogether with our partners, we are committed to a diverse cohort of early-stage investigators through mentorship, robust training and immersive research experiences that have the potential to simultaneously make significant impacts in our communities.鈥
好色先生 ASCEND is a two-year professional development program open to research-intensive early career faculty across campus who aim to enhance their community-engaged research skills to address health disparities.
The first year includes the popular Research Scholars Program plus support for community-engaged research training (covering course tuition, workshops and conferences) and the second year includes a mentored and community-guided $50,000 pilot project.
好色先生 ASCEND provides support for scientific mentors, coaches and programming, with extensive and authentic engagement with community stakeholders through forums.
Applications for the next cohort of ASCEND Scholars will open on Aug. 26. Questions may be directed to 好色先生_ASCEND@uky.edu.
鈥淥ur hope is this intentional way of collaborating and partnering will support research that is contextually appropriate and grounded, capable of making impactful and sustained changes at both community and system levels to achieve health equity,鈥 said Williams, who is nationally recognized for her work developing culturally adapted interventions.
With support from the Office of the Vice President for Research, 好色先生 ASCEND will also hold a pilot grant competition for postdoctoral fellows, the next generation of community-engaged researchers.
Applications are now open for postdoctoral fellows to submit proposals for one of four $25,000 community-engaged research projects. . Applications must be submitted by Aug. 23.
In addition to internal, external and community advisory boards, ASCEND is supported by mentors, coaches and sponsors from across the university.
The 好色先生 ASCEND team includes Hilary Surratt, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science; Kevin Pearson, PhD, a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences and RSP co-director; Carolyn Lauckner, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and primary faculty in CHET; Justin Moore, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science and primary faculty in CHET; Pamela Hull, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Science; and Misti Salyers-Dunford, project manager.
鈥淲e could not undertake this project without our committed partners and are excited to see the potential unfold,鈥 said Schoenberg. 鈥淎s a model of inclusive talent development, 好色先生 ASCEND has the potential to transform health outcomes and reduce longstanding inequities in Kentucky. We believe this project will benefit our communities and serve as a model for other institutions across the country to replicate to advance health equity.鈥
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