CMS awards two minority research grants to address disparities that impact racial and ethnic minorities

Office of Minority Health

Minority Research Grant Program Awards Two New Grantees

For over two decades, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has funded health equity research through the Minority Research Grant Program (MRGP). The program was founded in response to Executive Orders that foster excellence and innovation at Minority-Serving Institutions. The program reflects CMS’ support of Minority-Serving Institutions to address social determinants of health that hinder the health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and rural populations.

CMS recently awarded two grants to investigators at Minority Serving Institutions:

University of Houston will receive funding to develop a data-driven, personalized reminder system and establish mobile teleretinal screening facilities for Hispanic patients with diabetic eye disease (DED) in Harris County. DED is the leading cause of blindness in the US, and Hispanics are more than twice as high as non-Hispanics to be diagnosed with DED.  Researchers will implement a geographic information system-based model to analyze the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of mobile screening services in the county, and find optimal geographic configuration and schedules of services. The principal investigator of this research project is Taewoo Lee, PhD.

University of Miami will receive funding to build a multi-phase research, primary care and sustainable community engagement model focused on addressing systemic trauma in Black and Hispanic young men in Miami-Dade County.  Due to high exposures to poverty, Hispanic and Black males between the ages of 17 and 30 are overrepresented in cases of food insecurity, physical assaults and abandonment, and other behavioral and mental health challenges often resulting in poorer health outcomes and quality of life.  Investigators plan to train community health workers (CHW) to conduct a community-based survey on social determinants of health.  The principal investigator of this research project is Roderick King, MD, MPH.

Both grantees will evaluate critical public health issues through rigorous analysis and community engagement. This adds to the body of research that helps improve our understanding of social determinants of health and will inform the development of solutions to address them.

An announcement regarding the next MRGP Notice of Funding Opportunity will be shared through the CMS Office of Minority Health listserv in 2020. Learn more about the Minority Research Grant Program by visiting the following site: go.cms.gov/minorityresearch.