Grants & Awards
Translational Program of Health Disparities Research Training (TRANSPORT)
In 2017 SUNY Downstate received the Translational Program of Health Disparities Research Training (TRANSPORT) endowment from the National Institute of Health.
This endowment award establishes a new and sustainable Translational Program of Health Disparities Research Training (TRANSPORT). TRANSPORT focuses on recruiting and training junior faculty, postdoctoral candidates and undergraduate students who come from communities that are vulnerable to health disparities. TRANSPORT also improves institutional collaboration and engagement in health disparities through monthly interactive seminars and yearly symposia with community partners. TRANSPORT is led by principal investigators President Wayne J. Riley, M.D., MPH, MBA, MACP, Dr. W. Marcus Lambert, PHD, Dr. Moro Salifu, MD., MBA, MPH, MACP and Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster, MD., MSc.
In 2023, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University received a $10M renewal of the TRANSPORT grant which increases the original 2017 research endowment to $20M, expanding the capacity for transformative health equity research. The TRANSPORT I principal investigators are joined by Dr. Marlene Camacho-Rivera, ScD, MS, MPH and Dr. Mohamed Boutjdir, Ph.D as principal investigators on TRANSPORT II. Dr. Pamela Straker, Ph.D., Dr. Ayesha Joshi, Ph.D. and Lakia Maxwell, MSCH, will provide additional research and administrative support to TRANSPORT II.
Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Center of Excellence (COE)
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University has been awarded a 5-year federal grant
from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the total amount of
$3.3 million.
The COE was established to be a catalyst for institutionalizing a commitment to under-represented students and faculty. Part of this commitment includes providing educational and training opportunities that focus on increasing diversity among health professions and addressing minority health issues. The Downstate COE serves as an innovative resource and education center to recruit, train, and retain URM students and faculty at health professions schools. Programs improve information resources, clinical education, curricula, and cultural competence as they relate to minority health issues and social determinants of health. The COE focuses on facilitating faculty and student research on health issues particularly affecting health disparities populations. The COE also provides opportunities for community engagement.
The COE is led by CO-principal investigators, Dr. Anika Daniels-Osaze, Ed.D., Dr. Carla Boutin-Foster, MD, MS.
Clinical Research Scholars Training Program (CREST)
The Clinical Research Scholars Training Program (CREST) is a five-year training grant
funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD).
CREST aims to empower clinicians with the necessary support and resources to conduct
groundbreaking health equity research. CREST aims to foster innovation and provide
a solid foundation for cutting-edge research that addresses health inequities and
brings us closer to achieving health equity for all. CREST actively encourages individuals
from diverse backgrounds—particularly those underrepresented in the biomedical and
behavioral sciences—to pursue further studies or careers in research. This program
aims to foster inclusivity and empower aspiring researchers to address health disparities
for sustained and prolonged impact.
CREST is led principal investigators Dr. Carla Boutin Foster, M.D., MS, Dr. W. Marcus Lambert, Ph.D., and Dr. Marlene Camacho-Rivera Sc.D., MS, MPH.
Coalition to End Racism in Clinical Algorithms (CERCA)
CERCA was formed to support and speed up ongoing work by some New York City health systems to end the misuse of race in some clinical algorithms. CERCA is a citywide effort with a shared timeline and vision for:
- Learning about the harms of race correction in clinical algorithms.
- Ending race correction in at least one clinical algorithm.
- Measuring and publicly reporting the impact of ending race correction on racial health inequities amongst the patients they serve.